cross

1 of 5

noun

1
a
: a structure consisting of an upright with a transverse beam used especially by the ancient Romans for execution
b
often capitalized : the cross on which Jesus was crucified
2
b
: an affliction that tries one's virtue, steadfastness, or patience
We all have our crosses to bear.
3
: a cruciform sign made to invoke the blessing of Christ especially by touching the forehead, breast, and shoulders
4
a
: a device composed of an upright bar traversed (see traverse entry 1 sense transitive 3) by a horizontal one
specifically : one used as a Christian symbol
b
capitalized : the Christian religion
5
: a structure (such as a monument) shaped like or surmounted by a cross
a cross over a grave
6
: a figure or mark formed by two intersecting lines crossing at their midpoints
The crosses at the end of the letter indicate kisses.
specifically : such a mark used as a signature
7
: a cruciform badge, emblem, or decoration
8
: the intersection of two ways or lines : crossing
9
: annoyance, thwarting
a cross in love
10
a
: an act of crossing (see cross entry 2 sense 8) dissimilar individuals
b
: a crossbred individual or kind
The dog is a cross of a hunting dog and a sheepdog.
c
: one that combines characteristics of two different types or individuals
A zedonk is a cross between a zebra and a donkey.
11
a
: a fraudulent or dishonest contest
"I never fought a cross or struck a foul blow in my life … "George Bernard Shaw
b
: dishonest or illegal practices
used especially in the phrase on the cross
12
: a movement from one part of a theater stage to another
13
a
: a punch thrown over the opponent's lead in boxing
hit him with a right cross
b
: an attacking pass in soccer played across the field from one side to the other or to the middle
14
: a security transaction in which a broker acts for both buyer and seller (as in the placing of a large lot of common stock)

called also cross-trade

Illustration of cross

Illustration of cross
  • 1 Latin
  • 2 Calvary
  • 3 patriarchal or cross of Lorraine
  • 4 papal
  • 5 cross of Lorraine
  • 6 Greek
  • 7 Celtic
  • 8 Maltese
  • 9 Saint Andrew's
  • 10 tau
  • 11 pommée
  • 12 botonée
  • 13 fleury
  • 14 avellan
  • 15 moline
  • 16 formée
  • 17 fourchée
  • 18 crosslet
  • 19 quadrate
  • 20 potent

cross

2 of 5

verb

crossed; crossing; crosses

transitive verb

1
a
: to lie or be situated across
b
2
: to make the sign of the cross upon or over
3
: to cancel by marking a cross on or drawing a line through : strike out
cross names off a list
4
: to place or fold crosswise one over the other
cross the arms
5
a(1)
: to run counter to : oppose
(2)
: to deny the validity of : contradict
b
: to confront in a troublesome manner : obstruct
c(1)
: to spoil completely : disrupt
used with up
His failure to appear crossed up the whole program.
(2)
: to turn against : betray
crossed me up on the deal
6
a
: to extend across or over : traverse
a highway crossing the entire state
b
: reach, attain
Only two crossed the finish line.
c
: to go from one side of to the other
cross a street
crosses racial barriers
7
a
: to draw a line across
b
: to mark or figure with lines : streak
8
: to cause (an animal or plant) to interbreed with one of a different kind : hybridize
9
: to meet and pass on the way
Our letters must have crossed each other.
10
: to occur to
It never crossed my mind.
11
: to carry or take across something
crossed the children at the intersection
12
: to turn (the eyes) inward toward the nose
The boy made a funny face and crossed his eyes.

intransitive verb

1
a
: to move, pass, or extend across something
crossed through France
crossed over to the other side of the river
b
: to move or pass from one character, condition, or allegiance to another
used with over
crossing over to vote for another party's candidate
2
: to lie or be athwart each other
3
: to meet in passing especially from opposite directions
4
crosser noun

cross

3 of 5

adjective

1
a
: lying across or athwart
b
: moving across
cross traffic
2
a
: running counter : opposite
b
: mutually opposed
cross purposes
3
: involving mutual interchange : reciprocal
4
: marked by typically transitory bad temper
5
: extending over or treating several groups, conditions, or classes
a cross sample from 25 colleges
6
crossly adverb
crossness noun

cross

4 of 5

preposition

: across

cross

5 of 5

adverb

: not parallel : crisscross, crosswise
Phrases
cross one's fingers or keep one's fingers crossed
: to hope for a particular or stated outcome
Owners are crossing their fingers that relief might be on the way.Mike Freeman
Keep your fingers crossed that something will be worked out.Marge Crumbaker
cross paths
: to meet especially by chance
crossed paths with an old friend on a business trip
cross swords
: to engage in a dispute

Examples of cross in a Sentence

Noun a necklace with a gold cross The teacher marked the absent students on her list with crosses. Those who could not write signed their names with a cross. Verb We crossed the state border hours ago. The dog crossed the street. The highway crosses the entire state. He was the first runner to cross the finish line. The train crosses through France. Put a nail where the boards cross. One line crossed the other. Adjective I didn't mean to make you cross. I was cross with her for being so careless.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Shaw made it 3-0 in first-half stoppage time, sliding on to a low cross from Trinity Rodman and redirecting it in from the center of the box. Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 4 Mar. 2024 Mitty answered in the 45th minute when Portillo put the ball in the back of the net on a cross from Constantin Salmen to make it 1-1. Darren Sabedra, The Mercury News, 3 Mar. 2024 The Pirates had the ball in Lakewood’s end of the field several times with Hassan Diaz shooting high and over the goal and Braulio Ibarra firing for 30 yards out only to be stopped in a great diving stop by Diego Ortiz. Just before Ibarra’s shot, Oceanside misfired on a cross. John Maffei, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Mar. 2024 In Orthodox Christian tradition, eggs are painted red to symbolize the blood that Jesus shed on the cross. Joyce Orlando, Detroit Free Press, 1 Mar. 2024 Think of it as a cross between the 1460s and Rometty Chelsea boots, just with a bit more edge. Olivia Muenter, Peoplemag, 29 Feb. 2024 But the striker timed his movement to perfection to steer in De Bruyne’s cross from close range. Ben Church, CNN, 28 Feb. 2024 So are a number of posh, prim English types who sound like a cross between Queen Victoria and Mary Poppins — not surprising, given that Blunt has played both roles during her 20-year career, yet still odd to hear in the context of a casual chat. David Fear, Rolling Stone, 25 Feb. 2024 After five more hours of cross examination, a fourth hearing was scheduled, after which yet another would be set. Paul Schwartzman, Washington Post, 20 Feb. 2024
Verb
Mounting frustration with the company seemed to cross party lines at Wednesday's hearing. Joel Rose, NPR, 6 Mar. 2024 Those surpluses are in excess of 35 percent of the state’s general-fund budget, which crossed the $10 billion mark for the first time in 2024. Paul J. Gessing, National Review, 6 Mar. 2024 The authorized route will run south on State Route 64 to Williams, then on Interstate 40 through Flagstaff, north on U.S. Highway 89 to Highway 160, crossing the Navajo Nation through Kayenta, finally proceeding on U.S. 191 to the mill. Trilce Estrada Olvera, The Arizona Republic, 5 Mar. 2024 When does art cross that line, and what happens next? Sofia Goldstein, SPIN, 5 Mar. 2024 And when the eclipse crosses into Canada, viewers can still expect to see totality for 3 minutes and 21 seconds. Ashley Strickland, CNN, 5 Mar. 2024 The thought of helping secular Israelis never crossed her mind. Natan Odenheimer, New York Times, 4 Mar. 2024 One Love has already crossed the $100 million mark ($61.4 million domestically and $39.7 million overseas) at the global box office after only 10 days in theaters. Mitchell Peters, Billboard, 24 Feb. 2024 The total solar eclipse will cross North America on April 8. Jenna Prestininzi, Detroit Free Press, 24 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cross.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun, Verb, Adjective, Preposition, and Adverb

Middle English, from Old English, from Old Norse or Old Irish; Old Norse kross, from Old Irish cros, from Latin cruc-, crux

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Preposition

1551, in the meaning defined above

Adverb

1577, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cross was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near cross

Cite this Entry

“Cross.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cross. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

cross

1 of 3 noun
1
a
: a structure consisting of one bar crossing another at right angles
b
often capitalized : the cross on which Jesus was crucified used as a symbol of Christianity and the Christian religion
2
: sorrow or suffering as a test of patience or virtue
had their crosses to bear
3
: an object or mark shaped like a cross
a stone cross
put a cross next to the name
4
a
: an act of crossing unlike individuals
b
: a crossbred individual or kind
5
: a punch that crosses over an opponent's punch in boxing

cross

2 of 3 verb
1
a
: to lie or be situated across
put a nail where the boards cross each other
b
: intersect sense 1
where two lines cross
c
: to move, pass, or extend across
a bridge crossing the river
cross the street
2
: to make the sign of the cross on or over (as in prayer)
3
: to cancel by marking a cross on or drawing a line through
cross names off a list
cross out a mistake
4
: to place one over the other
cross the arms
5
: to act against : oppose
don't cross me
6
: to draw a line across
cross your t's
7
8
: to pass in opposite directions
our letters crossed in the mail
9
: to occur to
it never crossed my mind
10
: to turn (the eyes) inward toward the nose
his eyes were crossed

cross

3 of 3 adjective
1
: lying or moving across
cross traffic
2
3
: marked by bad temper : grumpy
crossly adverb
crossness noun
Etymology

Noun

Old English cros, probably from an early Norse or an early Irish word derived from Latin crux "cross" — related to crucial, cruise, crusade, crux, excruciating

Medical Definition

cross

1 of 3 noun
1
: a device composed of an upright bar traversed by a horizontal one
2
a
: an act of crossing dissimilar individuals
b
: a crossbred individual or kind

cross

2 of 3 transitive verb
: to cause (an animal or plant) to interbreed with one of a different kind : hybridize
the crossing of two cattle breeds

cross

3 of 3 adjective

Geographical Definition

Cross

geographical name

river 300 miles (483 kilometers) long in western Cameroon and southeastern Nigeria flowing west and south into the Gulf of Guinea

Biographical Definition

Cross

biographical name

Wilbur Lucius 1862–1948 American educator and politician

More from Merriam-Webster on cross

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