crucifix

[ kroo-suh-fiks ]

/ ˈkru sə fɪks /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR crucifix ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a cross with the figure of Jesus crucified upon it.

any cross.

Gymnastics. a stunt performed on the parallel rings in which the athlete holds himself or herself rigid with arms extended horizontally from the shoulders.

RELATED WORDS

X, rood, cruciate

Nearby words

crucible, crucible steel, crucifer, cruciferous, crucificial, crucifix, crucifixion, crucifixion thorn, cruciform, cruciformly, crucify

Origin of crucifix

1175–1225; Middle English < Late Latin crucifīxus the crucified one (i.e., Christ), noun use of masculine of past participle of Latin crucifīgere to crucify; see fix

Related formscru·ci·fi·cial

[kroo-suh-fish-uh l] /ˌkru səˈfɪʃ əl/, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for crucifix

He pulled the crucifix from under his shirt and it glinted in the bright midday sun.
Brooklyn Shooting Hits Close to Bill de Blasio’s Park Slope Home|Michael Daly|July 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Did you not get a serious case of the creepy crawlies when those hordes of spiders spilled out of the crucifix?
‘Penny Dreadful’ Is a Shameless Orgy of Blood, Gore, and Scary Fun|Kevin Fallon|May 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
One of the cornerstone images of the movement purports to be of a Syrian Christian, slain by a crucifix shoved down her throat.
Kim Kardashian Butts Into Syria’s (Online) Civil War With #SaveKessab Campaign|Marlow Stern, Michael Weiss|March 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Block manages to emphasize the importance of religious symbol in his clever use of the crucifix and monk in Hit Me.
Where’s the Faith in Fiction? Try Crime Novels|David Masciotra|March 10, 2013|DAILY BEAST

The church of La Madeleine has a crucifix with a weeping Magdalene at its foot.
Ecclesiastical Curiosities|Various
He had been accused of attempting to kill his porter with a dagger, but he had only shown him a crucifix.
Letters to an Unknown|Prosper Mrime
They knelt down and prayed for some time before the crucifix, and then walked on foot behind the carriage.
Walks in Rome|Augustus J.C. Hare
With a jolt Conrad sets the crucifix down and leans it against one of the large trees.
The Saxons|Edwin Davies Schoonmaker
As he hastily arose, a crucifix which his mother had suspended to his neck at parting, fell from his bosom.
Great Men and Famous Women, Vol. 8 (of 8)|Various

British Dictionary definitions for crucifix

crucifix

/ (ˈkruːsɪfɪks) /

noun

a cross or image of a cross with a figure of Christ upon it

Word Origin for crucifix

C13: from Church Latin crucifixus the crucified Christ, from crucifīgere to crucify

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for crucifix

crucifix

early 13c., from Old French crucefix (12c., Modern French crucifix), from Latin cruci fixus "(one) fixed to the cross" (see crucify).