x
verb (used with object)
to cross out or mark with or as if with an x (often followed byout ).
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xes.
x
1 American
[eks]
/ ɛks /
verb (used with object)
x-ed,
x'd,
x-ing,
x'ing
-
to cross out or mark with or as if with an x (often followed byout ).
to x out an error.
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to indicate choice, as on a ballot or examination (often followed byin ).
to x in the candidate of your choice.
x
2
American
x
3
American
Symbol.
-
an unknown quantity or a variable.
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the letter x used to replace or obscure a gender morpheme, as to avoid the -o or -a inflection of a word borrowed from Spanish or the sequence m-e-n in the word women . See Latinx, womxn.
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the letter x indicating a variable and used to hold a place in a word or abbreviation that can be occupied by another letter, as in CxO to account for a range of specialized executive positions in a corporation, for example CEO , CFO , and COO .
-
-
(used at the end of letters, telegrams, etc., to indicate a kiss.)
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(used to indicate multiplication) times.
8 × 8=64.
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(used between figures indicating dimensions) by.
3″ × 4″ (read: “three by four inches”);
3″ × 4″ × 5″ (read: “three by four by five inches”).
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power of magnification.
a 50x telescope.
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(used as a signature by an illiterate person.)
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cross.
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crossed with.
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(used to indicate a particular place or point on a map or diagram).
X marks the spot where the pirates' treasure is buried.
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out of; foaled by.
a colt by Flag-a-way x Merrylegs.
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(used to indicate choice, as on a ballot, examination, etc.)
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(used to indicate an error or incorrect answer, as on a test.)
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Mathematics. (in Cartesian coordinates) the x-axis.
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Chess. captures.
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a person, thing, agency, factor, etc., of unknown identity.
I feel sorry for poor Mr. X, the man she will ultimately marry.
X
4
American
[eks]
/ ɛks /
Or
x
noun
-
X's,
plural
-
Xs,
plural
-
x's,
plural
-
xs
plural
-
the 24th letter of the English alphabet, a consonant.
-
any spoken sound or combination of sounds represented by the letter X or x, as in xylene, box, or exact.
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something having the shape of an X .
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a written or printed representation of the letter X or x.
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a device, as a printer's type, for reproducing the letter X or x.
X
5
American
abbreviation
-
experimental.
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extra.
-
extraordinary.
X
6
American
Symbol.
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the 24th in order or in a series.
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(sometimes lowercase) the Roman numeral for 10.
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Christ.
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Christian.
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cross.
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Electricity. reactance.
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Slang. a ten-dollar bill.
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(no longer in official use by the Motion Picture Association of America) a rating for movies with subject matter that is suitable for adults only.
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(in Great Britain) a designation for a film recommended for adults only.
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a person, thing, agency, factor, etc., of unknown identity.
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Chemistry. (formerly) xenon.
X
1
British
symbol
-
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indicating a film that may not be publicly shown to anyone under 18. Since 1982 replaced by symbol 18
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( as modifier )
an X film
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denoting any unknown, unspecified, or variable factor, number, person, or thing
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(on letters, cards, etc) denoting a kiss
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(on ballot papers, etc) indicating choice
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(on examination papers, etc) indicating error
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for Christ; Christian
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ten See Roman numerals
x
2
British
symbol
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commerce banking finance ex
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maths the x- axis or a coordinate measured along the x- axis in a Cartesian coordinate system
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an algebraic variable
x
3
British
/ ɛks /
noun
-
the 24th letter and 19th consonant of the modern English alphabet
-
a speech sound sequence represented by this letter, in English pronounced as ks or gz or, in initial position, z, as in xylophone
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of x
First recorded in 1840–50
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The Golf Channel postponed its scheduled Aug. 25 premiere date of the reality show “Big Break x Good Good” after one of its sponsors asked for its branding to be removed from the show.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 27, 2026
It feels inevitable that I’ve started to internalize its ticks, even the most infamous ones, like incessant em-dashing and overreliance on the “It’s not x but y” structure.
From Slate ● Aug. 18, 2026
Hottle played a young orphan named Jia in the monster film series, and reprised the role in the 2024 sequel Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
Hottle reprised the role in the 2024 follow-up, “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026
The curve 1/x has a singularity at the point x = 0—a very simple sort of singularity that mathematicians dubbed a pole.
From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife
French posted the photo and wrote on X, “I heard UT graduation this year looked like this. I didn’t believe it. The problem is now obviously far worse than anyone imagined.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 20, 2026
Headquarters, formerly known as Kamala HQ on X, posted a side-by-side composite of Ossoff and El-Sayed last month with the caption: “There are 69 days until midterm election day.”
From Salon ● Sep. 20, 2026
“We’d rather have no bill than a bad bill,” he posted on X before a key Senate vote on Jan. 15.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 20, 2026
This tallies with what frontman Liam Gallagher posted on X last month, in response to one fan-site noting they were bookmakers' favourites to headline the festival.
From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026
They owned leather jackets, had girlfriends, and talked about things like Malcolm X and “soul power.”
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
The Tiny Tim needledrops, an in-universe parody of Adam West’s Batman, the irony of its main character finding fulfillment as a fry cook — it all pointed toward Gen X’s wry, detached view of culture.
From Salon ● Aug. 30, 2026
Space X's Falcon 9 rocket is a reusable model and has been sent into space on several missions.
From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026
Apparently the NHL was initially unaware of this addition, and the elder Pocklington’s name was later covered with a row of X’s.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026
He said X's commitments were "a step forward, but there's a lot more to do".
From Barron's ● May 15, 2026
While I was waiting for the elevator, I ran up to Mr. X’s and shoved the gum wrapper between his door and the doorframe.
From "Liar & Spy" by Rebecca Stead
The book also says when to try for a 2-point conversion, whether to attempt an onside kick or to kick deep and how to manage the two-minute warning—nearly everything outside of Xs and Os.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 17, 2025
The TikToks, Instagrams, and Xs of the world would rather nobody be worried about screen time at all, even as a few of those apps allow users to set their own limits.
From Slate ● Sep. 5, 2025
It is often called a violent chess match, and if you have ever seen inside a playbook and seen each play drawn up in Xs and Os fashion, you would have to agree.
From BBC ● Feb. 7, 2025
“Dawn Staley knows that it takes more than Xs and Os to win games,” basketball analyst Christy Winters-Scott said.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 8, 2024
She shakes her head and goes back to grading the exams, red checks or Xs next to each question.
From "The Queen of Water" by Laura Resau
But there are other cases in which scholars can only guess about the origins of x’s role, such as the phrase “X marks the spot.”
From Scientific American ● Aug. 10, 2023
Mr Musk says "tweets" will be replaced too, with posts to be called "x's" instead.
From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2023
Nearby in a tent, 30-ish chairs sat on spaced out yellow x’s.
From Slate ● Jan. 14, 2021
Note that removing the x’s from x +x 5 would be like cancelling the 2’s in the fraction 2 + 5 !
From Textbooks ● Apr. 22, 2020
My answer'd died in the second line of x's and y's and squareds.
From "Black Swan Green" by David Mitchell
So he said "Didn't you never correspond with a girl and put some of them xs down to the bottom of your letter?"
From The Real Dope by Ring Lardner
They imprint certain cabalistic tokens of ownership on the logs,--crosses, xs, stars, crescents, alphabetical letters,--marks respected all along the rivers and lakes down to the boom where the sticks are garnered for market.
From The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 10, No. 58, August, 1862 by Various
Item for the Tretys of Werre in iiij. books, which conteyneth lx. levis, after ijd. a leaff xs.
From The Boke of Noblesse by Unknown
Paide the smythe for making a new clapper for the great bell, xs.
From Notes and Queries, Vol. III, Number 86, June 21, 1851 A Medium of Inter-communication for Literary Men, Artists, Antiquaries, Geneologists, etc. by Various
Then follow "the names of those who were served with this writt, and who most willingly obeyed upon the receipt thereof," contributing altogether xvili xs 0.
From Christmas: Its Origin and Associations Together with Its Historical Events and Festive Celebrations During Nineteen Centuries by William Francis Dawson
I self-consciously x’d out of my browser window, open to three Blythe Harris platforms.
From The Guardian ● Oct. 18, 2014
Some Tottall of the Allowances and paymentes—M,ciijviij'li. viij's. x'd.
From Notes and Queries, Number 01, November 3, 1849 by Various
I got out the chart from its case on the suit's belt, x'd the location, and went on, feeling more lonely all the time.
From Attrition by Roy G. Krenkel
As he scrolled, read, clicked, and x-ed, Tess started coming up with her own ideas on how to birdnap.
From "As Brave As You" by Jason Reynolds
He x-ed out of Google, then sank back into the chair, his head in his hands.
From "As Brave As You" by Jason Reynolds
Acknowledging the Pentagon expulsions, Iran’s embassy in South Africa posted photos on social media Friday x-ing out portraits of several top U.S. military officials fired in recent months.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 5, 2026
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
