crux

¹ American  

[kruhks] / krʌks /

noun

plural

cruxes, cruces

1. a vital, basic, decisive, or pivotal point.

   The crux of the trial was his whereabouts at the time of the murder.

   Synonyms:

   gist, core, heart, essence

2. a cross.

3. something that torments by its puzzling nature; a perplexing difficulty.

---

Crux ² American  

[kruhks] / krʌks /

noun

Astronomy.

genitive

Crucis

1. Southern Cross.

---

crux ¹ British  

/ krʌks /

noun

1. a vital or decisive stage, point, etc (often in the phrase the crux of the matter )

2. a baffling problem or difficulty

3. mountaineering the most difficult and often decisive part of a climb or pitch

4. a rare word for cross

---

Crux ² British  

/ krʌks /

noun

1. the more formal name for the Southern Cross

---

Etymology

Origin of crux¹

1635–45; < Latin: stake, scaffold, or cross used in executions, torment; figurative senses perhaps < New Latin crux ( interpretum ) (commentators') torment, a difficult passage in a text; crucial

Origin of Crux²

< Latin: a cross

Example Sentences

At the crux of the dispute is whether Bartlett can show Nike abandoned the trademark after it failed to renew its registration.

From The Wall Street Journal

At the crux of its decision is a belief that the Ellisons wouldn’t be good for their money.

From The Wall Street Journal

The crux of the glam, an oversized star drawn on with glitter and eyeliner, evoked David Bowie’s iconic lightning bolt.

From Los Angeles Times

That confusion is the crux of the problem, said Alix Gallagher, a director at Policy Analysis for California Education who has studied AI use in schools.

From Los Angeles Times

That enthusiasm reflects budding interest in an industry that, like artificial intelligence, may become a crux of geopolitical competition that the U.S. seeks to dominate.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• bottom line
• core
• essence
• gist
• nub