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cruciform

[kroo-suh-fawrm]
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adjective
  1. being in the shape of a cross; cross-shaped.
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noun
  1. a cross.
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Origin of cruciform

1655–65; < Latin cruci- (stem of crux) cross + -form
Related formscru·ci·for·mi·ty, nouncru·ci·form·ly, adverbnon·cru·ci·form, adjectivenon·cru·ci·form·ly, adverbsub·cru·ci·form, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for cruciform

Historical Examples

  • Many were cruciform, and consisted of nave, transepts, and chancel.

    English Villages

    P. H. Ditchfield

  • The church is cruciform, and its spire the landmark for the surrounding country.

  • It is a cruciform building, and a steeple rises from the centre.

  • The ground-floor contained a cruciform passage and six divisions.

    Up in the Clouds

    R.M. Ballantyne

  • The church of All Saints is cruciform, with central tower and spire.

British Dictionary definitions for cruciform

cruciform

adjective
  1. shaped like a cross
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noun
  1. a geometric curve, shaped like a cross, that has four similar branches asymptotic to two mutually perpendicular pairs of lines. Equation: x ² y ² – a ² x ² – a ² y ² = 0, where x = y = ± a are the four lines
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Derived Formscruciformly, adverb

Word Origin

C17: from Latin crux cross + -form
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 cruciform

adj.

1660s, from Modern Latin cruciformis, from Latin crux (genitive crucis) "stake, cross" (see cross (n.)) + forma "form" (see form (n.)).

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper