cruciform

American  

[kroo-suh-fawrm] / ˈkru səˌfɔrm /

adjective

1. being in the shape of a cross; cross-shaped.

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noun

1. a cross.

cruciform British  

/ ˈkruːsɪˌfɔːm /

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

Other Word Forms

• cruciformity
  noun
• noncruciform
  adjective
• subcruciform
  adjective
• cruciformly
  adverb
• noncruciformly
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of cruciform

1655–65; < Latin cruci- (stem of crux ) cross + -form

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

cruciform

She had been posed in a cruciform shape with her arms outstretched.

From BBC ● Feb. 2, 2026

The couple soon moved to an 1823 Regency Gothic cruciform house in Wiltshire that had four wings, two of which became showrooms that began drawing the attention of London dealers.

From New York Times ● Aug. 31, 2022

The cruciform brick church, with a large circular window over its entrance, sits in a quiet church graveyard shaded by enormous live oaks and magnolias.

From Washington Post ● Nov. 5, 2021

I can tell where an intersection is because crisscrossing rows of fronds make the shape of a cruciform in the air.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 3, 2021

He notes the pedimented window lintels, the Doric pilasters, the bracketed entablature, the black cruciform paneled door.

From "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri