cross talk

American  

Or cross-talk,

noun

1. interference heard on a telephone or radio because of unintentional coupling to another communication channel.

2. incidental conversation; chatter, as opposed to formal discussion.

   The meeting was slowed by cross talk between board members.

3. British. witty, fast-paced dialogue, especially in a play, comic act, etc.; repartee.

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Etymology

Origin of cross talk

First recorded in 1885–90

Example Sentences

Despite the frequent cross talk, the tone overall was rather cordial.

From BBC • Apr. 17, 2025

"Blocking proteasomes seems to have an activity-modulatory effect across all the cells, despite being expressed in a subpopulation, suggesting that proteasomes facilitate a kind of cross talk between these cells," says Margolis.

From Science Daily • Apr. 12, 2024

There was so much cross talk and interrupting — by both governors — that it was impossible to hear what they were saying.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 30, 2023

With this model, we specifically wanted to understand this peri-implantation stage of development, when there is cross talk between the three types of tissues.

From Scientific American • Jun. 16, 2023

The industry term for this is "cross talk."

From "Americanized" by Sara Saedi