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\ ˈkrȯs 
\
\Definition of cross
(Entry 1 of 7)
1a : 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
2a : crucifixion
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
4a : 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
10a : 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.
11a : 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
13a : 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
cross
verbcrossed; crossing; crosses
Definition of cross (Entry 2 of 7)
1a : to lie or be situated across
b : intersect
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
5a(1) : to run counter to : oppose
(2) : to deny the validity of : contradict
b : to confront in a troublesome manner : obstruct
6a : to extend across or over : traverse a highway crossing the entire state
c : to go from one side of to the other
cross a street crosses racial barriers
7a : 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.
1a : 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 overcrossing 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 : interbreed, hybridize
cross one's fingers or keep one's fingers crossed cross paths cross swords
: 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
: to meet especially by chance
crossed paths with an old friend on a business trip
: to engage in a dispute
cross
adjectiveDefinition of cross (Entry 3 of 7)
1a : lying across or athwart
b : moving across
cross traffic
2a : 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
cross
prepositionDefinition of cross (Entry 4 of 7)
: across
cross
adverbDefinition of cross (Entry 5 of 7)
: not parallel : crisscross, crosswise
Cross
biographical name\ ˈkrȯs \
\Definition of Cross (Entry 6 of 7)
Wilbur Lucius 1862–1948 American educator and politician
Cross
geographical name\ ˈkrȯs \
\Definition of Cross (Entry 7 of 7)
river 300 miles (483 kilometers) long in western Cameroon and southeastern Nigeria flowing west and south into the Gulf of Guinea
Illustration of cross
Noun
cross 4a: 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
In the meaning defined above
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Synonyms & Antonyms for cross
Synonyms: Noun
Synonyms: Verb
Synonyms: Adjective
Antonyms: Verb
Antonyms: Adjective
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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.
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Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Thanksgiving weekend's cross-country repeat will make its way east, dumping more rain on places like Topeka, Kansas, where Black Friday shoppers battled the cold temps for big deals.
—
Jonathan Vigliotti, CBS News, "Powerful storm that wreaked havoc on West Coast moves across country," 29 Nov. 2019 Take a dog-sled ride to the hot springs, go on a snowmobile safari into parts of Grand Teton National Park that are otherwise inaccessible, and participate in night skiing, heli-skiing, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and tubing.
—
Erika Mailman, Washington Post, "Play where you stay: Great hotels for active vacations," 28 Nov. 2019 On top of lodging and event packages (from $435), the summit offers a two-day lift-ticket, rental, and lesson package ($220) as well as a two-day cross-country-skiing, snowshoeing, and ice-skating package ($150).
—
Miles Griffis, Outside Online, "The 2020 LGBTQ+ Ski Guide," 27 Nov. 2019 Here is a roundup of some of the best posts, which include someone cross-country skiing to down the street in Boulder, a corgi puppy frolicking in the snow, some unique snow-measuring devices and plenty of patio furniture pics.
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Daniel Boniface, The Denver Post, "Colorado weather: The best social media posts from the snowstorm," 26 Nov. 2019 Their battery life, at roughly five hours a charge, isn’t enough to last through a cross-country flight.
—
Valentina Palladino And Jeff Dunn, Ars Technica, "Guidemaster: The most useful gadgets to have in your bag while traveling," 20 Nov. 2019 The nickname came from the half track’s unique running gear, which consisted of two front wheels and a tank-like tread system for cross-country travel.
—
Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "This Restored WWII Half-Track Is a Masterpiece," 19 Nov. 2019 Chapman convinced Feden to take a cross-country trip with him from Pennsylvania to Las Vegas to look at homes in late September, WPXI-TV reported, citing court documents.
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Fox News, "Married man arrested in Pennsylvania after saying he lured girlfriend to Las Vegas desert, killed her: police," 18 Nov. 2019 Middle-schoolers at Cotton play every possible sport: football, basketball, soccer, cross-country.
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Ashley Mcbride, ExpressNews.com, "More high-poverty schools in San Antonio win ‘gold ribbons’," 17 Nov. 2019 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb Girls Cross-Country Erin Strzelecki, FW Bishop Dwenger Strzelecki, a senior and Notre Dame commit, won the girls cross country state meet with a time of 17:22.9.
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Matthew Vantryon, Indianapolis Star, "Here are the 2020 IndyStar Sports Awards fall nominees," 4 Dec. 2019 The back burn resulted in a reduced, fragmented habitat and yet another threat: Squirrels crossing the open spaces between forested areas are visible to winged predators looking for their next meal.
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Debra Utacia Krol, azcentral, "The Mount Graham red squirrel continues its slow recovery. Now it faces a new foe.," 4 Dec. 2019 Busski crosses the ladder from the window into the tree, jumps from the tree to a fence in the garden, and from the fence to the ground, Maeder says.
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Brigitte Schuster, National Geographic, "Where cats get their own staircases," 4 Dec. 2019 Ladies, treat yourself to a night out while crossing some names off of your shopping list at the Columbia Association’s Ladies Night Out Holiday Style.
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Susan Soldavin, baltimoresun.com, "Clarksville: New Tree for Troops organizer needed to continue tradition," 4 Dec. 2019 The train made a stop at the Harwood Avenue crossing in Wauwatosa or the fifth straight year on Tuesday, Dec. 3.
—
Evan Casey, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Canadian Pacific Holiday Train roars through downtown Wauwatosa, bringing $7,000 with it for local food banks," 4 Dec. 2019 The vehicles include a safety bar that lowers to cross the driver’s waist.
—
Maria Perez, jsonline.com, "American farms recruit Mexican veterinarians for jobs as animal scientists — but the real work is milking cows and cleaning pens for low pay," 4 Dec. 2019 McKinsey has faced mounting scrutiny over the past two years, as reports by The Times, ProPublica and others have raised questions about whether the firm has crossed ethical and legal lines in pursuit of profit.
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New York Times, "How McKinsey Helped the Trump Administration Carry Out Its Immigration Policies," 3 Dec. 2019 An Arizona community is in mourning for three children swept away when the family's truck got stuck crossing a creek.
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CBS News, "Winter storm slams the Northeast, killing at least 8," 3 Dec. 2019 Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective Women’s cross country was one of six Gopher teams with a perfect score in 2017-18 on the NCAA’s Academic Progress Rate, which tracks whether student-athletes are staying in school and academically eligible to compete.
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Josh Verges, Twin Cities, "Gophers setting academic success records, but how does grade inflation factor in?," 1 Nov. 2019 Hudson Bales was eventually transferred to Camp Pendleton, and the parents raised their two daughters (Summer’s older sister Alia ran cross country and track at UCSD) in Temecula, where the father became a police officer.
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San Diego Union-Tribune, "Muslim ban drove UCSD soccer player Summer Bales into action," 18 Oct. 2019 The University of Portland men’s cross cross team was just out of the top five in the national cross country rankings released Tuesday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.
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oregonlive, "University of Portland Pilots rank sixth in the national men’s cross country rankings," 18 Sep. 2019 Buy Now Gomez paired the boho dress with an extremely versatile canvas bucket bag from Staud that comes with an extremely handy cross-body strap for $295.
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Abby Gardner, Glamour, "Selena Gomez Wore a $50 Zara Dress with a $295 Bag—and You Can Shop Them Both Right Now," 24 July 2019 Outlook: The Eagles will have a new coach this season, along with a number of new athletes who have not run cross country before.
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Megan Woodward, baltimoresun.com/maryland/carroll, "Fall Sports Previews: 2019 Boys Cross Country Preview Capsules," 2 Sep. 2019 In last year’s state cross country championships, Niednagel finished fourth overall.
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San Diego Union-Tribune, "Prep cross country: runners to watch, season storylines, major meets," 26 Aug. 2019 Though the program is distinctly Indian, the absence of dialogue and universal themes such as Bheem’s loving bond with his mother lend it broad cross-cultural appeal.
—
Wendy Lee, Los Angeles Times, "Why Netflix is looking to India and a curious baby called Bheem to expand its user numbers abroad," 26 Aug. 2019 And other forms of cycling – cyclocross, which is cross country bike racing, and gravel bike races, on dirt roads and trails, are becoming more and more popular.
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Lori Riley, courant.com, "This Bolton man almost got hit by a car while biking from work but that’s not going to keep him off the roads," 25 Aug. 2019 Recent Examples on the Web: Adverb At the pageant, children sat cross-legged in the dirt, crowded close to the spindly stage where the contestants spun and danced in red feather headdresses, gold brocade and clouds of tulle.
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Aurora Almendral, New York Times, "A Transgender Paradox, and Platform, in the Philippines," 29 Apr. 2018 In a corner of their studio, a small white robot sits cross-legged, surrounded by coils of sweet-smelling incense.
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The Economist, "Prophets and profitsIn South Korea fortune-telling will soon be a $3.7bn business," 24 Feb. 2018 The company projects that the merger will result in more than $1 billion in cost savings and eventually generate additional revenue from cross-selling products and services to its customers.
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Guy Boulton, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Molinaroli left his mark on Johnson Controls in his brief, tumultuous tenure as CEO," 2 Sep. 2017 Both assertions were rejected in January by a federal appeals court in Richmond, Va., which found that the jury instructions were valid and that the witness already had been cross-examined once, and a second cross would yield nothing materially new.
—
Michael Hiltzik, chicagotribune.com, "A convicted coal executive is still trying to dodge blame for the deaths of 29 miners," 24 May 2017
See MoreThese example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'cross.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for cross
cross
nounEnglish Language Learners Definition of cross
(Entry 1 of 3)
: a long piece of wood with a shorter piece across it near the top that people were once fastened to and left to die on as a form of punishment
: the cross on which Jesus Christ died
: an object or image in the shape of a cross that is used as a symbol of Christianity
cross
verbEnglish Language Learners Definition of cross (Entry 2 of 3)
: to go from one side of (something) to the other : to go across (something)
: to go or pass across each other
: to place one arm, leg, etc., over the other
cross
adjectiveEnglish Language Learners Definition of cross (Entry 3 of 3)
: annoyed or angry
See the full definition for cross in the English Language Learners Dictionary
cross
noun\ ˈkrȯs \
\Kids Definition of cross
(Entry 1 of 3)
1 : a structure, object, or mark formed by two lines that cross each other
2 often capitalized : the structure on which Jesus Christ was crucified used as a symbol of Christianity
3 : a mixture of two different things, types, or qualities
The game is a cross of luck and skill.
cross to bear
: a hardship that someone endures for a long time
We all have our crosses to bear.
cross
verbcrossed; crossing
Kids Definition of cross (Entry 2 of 3)
1 : to move, pass, or extend across or past
Look both ways before you cross the street.
2 : to place one over the other
Cross your fingers!
3 : to lie or be situated across
A path crosses the front yard.
4 : to go across : intersect
5 : to turn (the eyes) toward the nose
6 : to draw a line across
Remember to cross your t's.
7 : to act against : oppose She's tough, and I wouldn't dare to cross her.
8 : to cause (an animal or plant) to breed with one of another kind : produce hybrids
9 : to pass going in opposite directions
Their letters crossed in the mail.
cross off cross out cross someone's mind cross yourself
: to draw a line through (something)
You can cross my name off the list.
: to draw a line through (something) to show that it is wrong
I crossed out the misspelled word.
: to be thought of by someone
Losing never crossed her mind.
: to touch the forehead, chest, and shoulders as an expression of Christian faith (as in prayer)
cross
adjectivecrosser; crossest
Kids Definition of cross (Entry 3 of 3)
1 : hard to get along with : irritable
2 : lying, falling, or passing across
a cross street
cross
noun\ ˈkrȯs \
\Medical Definition of cross
(Entry 1 of 3)
cross
transitive verbMedical Definition of cross (Entry 2 of 3)
: to cause (an animal or plant) to interbreed with one of a different kind : hybridize the crossing of two cattle breeds
cross
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Time Traveler for cross
The first known use of cross was before the 12th century
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