crosshair

noun cross·hair \ ˈkrȯs-ˌher \

|Updated on: 14 Aug 2018

Definition of crosshair

: a fine wire or thread in the focus of the eyepiece of an optical instrument used as a reference line in the field or for marking the instrumental axis —used figuratively to describe someone or something being targeted as if through an aiming device having crosshairs

… in the crosshairs this political season
—J. H. Alter

See crosshair defined for English-language learners

Recent Examples of crosshair from the Web

On the other hand, Rodibaugh, who raises pigs and grows soybeans, corn and some wheat along with his three brothers and their families on their 2,000-plus-acre farm, had hoped American farmers wouldn't be caught in the crosshairs.

— karen caffarini, Post-Tribune, "As tariffs begin, Northwest Indiana auto workers and farmers share concerns," 10 July 2018
That reportedly could put the money raised through a crowdfunding site in the crosshairs.

— brooke singman, Fox News, "Stormy Daniels' legal fund could be targeted in case against attorney Avenatti," 13 June 2018
China’s regional power push, including its broad claims of sovereignty over the South China Sea, get relatively little U.S. attention while North Korea is squaring in the crosshairs.

— christina cliff, Fortune, "Trump’s First Meeting With Kim May Be Little More Than a Photo Op," 11 June 2018
This will be Fletcher’s fourth time in the crosshairs.

— michael smolens, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Will Fletcher surge now that he survived the primary?," 10 June 2018
Drake’s worth as a human being was now to be in the crosshairs, with a woman, a kid, and a music producer with multiple sclerosis as collateral damage.

— hannah giorgis, The Atlantic, "Pusha T, Drake, and the Limits of Rap Beef," 30 May 2018
Kids who take up baseball or softball as well as anyone remodeling their kitchen, dealing with a flat bicycle tire or getting a dog could be caught in the crosshairs of the Trump administration’s latest salvo in the global trade war.

— mary ellen podmolik, chicagotribune.com, "20 products you buy that could be hit with tariffs," 12 July 2018
And as animals come to associate the smell of humans with rich resources, their fear of people plummets, putting them in the crosshairs of the disgruntled defenders of urban jungles.

— katherine j. wu, Smithsonian, "How Humans Created the Ultimate Superpests," 9 July 2018
This one hits close to home because my beloved Astrodome has been in the crosshairs of demolition for a decade.

— stefan stevenson, star-telegram, "The 10 best songs about baseball," 6 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'crosshair.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of crosshair

circa 1884

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

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CROSSHAIR Defined for English Language Learners

crosshair

noun

Definition of crosshair for English Language Learners

: a very thin wire or thread that is seen when you look into a microscope, telescope, etc., and that is used for precisely viewing or aiming at something