cross section
noun
1
a
: a cutting or piece of something cut off at right angles to an axis
also
: a representation of such a cutting
b
2
: a measure of the probability of an encounter between particles such as will result in a specified effect (such as scattering or capture)
3
: a composite representation typifying the constituents of a thing in their relations
cross-section
transitive verb
Examples of cross section in a Sentence
a detailed cross section of the human brain
The drawing showed the human brain in cross section.
The class surveyed a cross section of the student body.
The people in our neighborhood are a representative cross section of American society.
Recent Examples on the Web
As listeners enjoy a cross section of very different Americas, Flagg elicits laughs with her humorous observations of the human condition and her wry delivery.
—
Audiofile Magazine
august 29, Literary Hub, 29 Aug. 2025
In one of the shots, Swift sits underneath a street lamp with signs indicating the cross section of 16th Avenue and Cornelia Street — referencing a song on the album with the same name.
—Colson Thayer, People.com, 26 Aug. 2025
There is nothing the world loves to put on a pedestal more than a beautiful white mother who inhabits the cross section of feminine beauty and maternal warmth, and who demonstrates ease at inhabiting all the roles society asks her to fill.
—Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 15 Aug. 2025
It’s served sliced in half, revealing a cross section of pink interior featuring interwoven striations of marinated pork and smoked eel, whose flavors merge into an ambient meatiness.
—Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 27 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for cross section
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Audiofile Magazine
august 29, Literary Hub, 29 Aug. 2025
In one of the shots, Swift sits underneath a street lamp with signs indicating the cross section of 16th Avenue and Cornelia Street — referencing a song on the album with the same name.
—Colson Thayer, People.com, 26 Aug. 2025
There is nothing the world loves to put on a pedestal more than a beautiful white mother who inhabits the cross section of feminine beauty and maternal warmth, and who demonstrates ease at inhabiting all the roles society asks her to fill.
—Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 15 Aug. 2025
It’s served sliced in half, revealing a cross section of pink interior featuring interwoven striations of marinated pork and smoked eel, whose flavors merge into an ambient meatiness.
—Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 27 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for cross section
Cite this Entry
“Cross section.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cross%20section. Accessed 7 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
cross section
noun
: a cutting or piece of something cut off at right angles to an axis
also
: a representation of such a cutting
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