crossover

[kraws-oh-ver, kros-]

noun

1. a bridge or other structure for crossing over a river, highway, etc.

2. Genetics.

   1. crossing over.

   2. a genotype resulting from crossing over.

3. Popular Music.

   1. the act of crossing over in style, usually with the intention of broadening the commercial appeal to a wider audience.

   2. music that crosses over in style, occasionally sharing attributes with several musical styles and therefore often appealing to a broader audience.

4. Also called crossover voter. U.S. Politics.,  a member of one political party who votes for the candidate of another party in a primary.

5. crossover network.

6. Railroads.,  a track structure composed of two or more turnouts, permitting movement of cars from either of two parallel and adjacent tracks to the other.

7. Dance.

   1. a step in which dancers exchange places.

   2. a step involving partners in which the woman moves from one side of her partner to the other, crossing in front of him.

8. Bowling.,  a ball that strikes the side of the head pin opposite to the bowling hand of the bowler.

9. (in plumbing) a U -shaped pipe for bypassing another pipe.

crossover

/ ˈkrɒsˌəʊvə /

noun

1. a place at which a crossing is made

2. genetics

   1. another term for crossing over

   2. a chromosomal structure or character resulting from crossing over

3. railways a point of transfer between two main lines

4. short for crossover network

5. a recording, book, or other product that becomes popular in a genre other than its own

adjective

1. (of music, fashion, art, etc) combining two distinct styles

2. (of a performer, writer, recording, book, etc) having become popular in more than one genre

Word History and Origins

Origin of crossover¹

First recorded in 1785–95; noun use of verb phrase cross over

Example Sentences

The late night circuit got its version of a unique crossover event Tuesday night as Jimmy Kimmel and Stephen Colbert appeared as guests on each other’s shows.

From Los Angeles Times

Folklore, from the same owners, is their sister restaurant with a menu that has a lot of crossover if that location is more convenient.

From Salon

The musician is best known for a string of country crossover hits including Coat of Many Colors, I Will Always Love You, 9 To 5 and Jolene.

From BBC

In races, there is a crossover point between compounds, where the extra pace generated by the higher grip levels of the softer compound falls away and the harder compound becomes faster.

From BBC

There’s a wealth of kind of poetry/music crossovers that I think work really well, like Saul Williams.

From Los Angeles Times