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crux
[ kruhks ]
/ krʌks /
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noun, plural crux·es, cru·ces [kroo-seez]. /ˈkru siz/.
a vital, basic, decisive, or pivotal point: The crux of the trial was his whereabouts at the time of the murder.
a cross.
something that torments by its puzzling nature; a perplexing difficulty.
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Origin of crux
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; cf. crucial
Words nearby crux
crut, crutch, Crutched Friar, crutchings, Crutzen, crux, crux ansata, crux of the matter, Cruyff, Cruz, cruzado
Other definitions for crux (2 of 2)
Origin of Crux
<Latin: a cross
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use crux in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for crux (1 of 2)
crux
/ (krʌks) /
noun plural cruxes or cruces (ˈkruːsiːz)
a vital or decisive stage, point, etc (often in the phrase the crux of the matter)
a baffling problem or difficulty
mountaineering the most difficult and often decisive part of a climb or pitch
a rare word for cross
Word Origin for crux
C18: from Latin: cross
British Dictionary definitions for crux (2 of 2)
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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