crossing

noun cross·ing \ ˈkrȯ-siŋ \

Updated on: 15 Apr 2018

Definition of crossing

1 : the act or action of crossing: such as

a : a traversing or traveling across

b : an opposing, blocking, or thwarting especially in an unfair or dishonest manner

2 a : a place or structure (as on a street or over a river) where pedestrians or vehicles cross; especially : crosswalk

b : the place in a cruciform church where the transept crosses the nave

c : a place where a railroad track crosses a street

See crossing defined for English-language learners

See crossing defined for kids

Examples of crossing in a Sentence

Stop at the railroad crossing.
a crossing for ferry boats
the crossing of a mountain range
a weeklong crossing of the Atlantic Ocean

Recent Examples of crossing from the Web

In 2015, he was cited twice — once on Oct. 4 for failing to stop the train before entering a malfunctioning railroad crossing in Scituate, internal records show.

— andrea estes, BostonGlobe.com, "Rail officials knew that judge’s son had poor driving record, yet made him an engineer," 9 Apr. 2018
Work on Florida East Coast railroad crossings in Boca Raton, Delray Beach, Lake Worth, Lantana and West Palm Beach could be finished by the end of the month, officials said.

— wayne k. roustan, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Brightline doing test runs to downtown Miami," 6 Apr. 2018
Most of the road has been widened or is in planning to be widened, but the plan involves an eventual bridge crossing of the Fox River.

— steve lord, Aurora Beacon-News, "End of the road for Prairie Parkway in Fox Valley," 26 Mar. 2018
The trip ends with a crossing of the North Pacific to Alaska followed by a trip down the west coast of North America to San Francisco.

— gene sloan, USA TODAY, "Oceania Cruises unveils another epic, 180-day world voyage," 21 Mar. 2018
Police said Tuesday that the 40-year-old man, who is of Kurdish origin, ran across the Kastanies crossing in northeastern Greece shortly before midnight for reasons that were not immediately clear.

— Fox News, "Greece: Turkish national runs across border while drunk," 20 Mar. 2018
Park officials say without a reliable wildlife crossing over the freeway, the small pocket of mountain lions there will lose genetic diversity to the point the population will eventually go extinct.

— joseph serna, latimes.com, "Cameras capture a mountain lion using a culvert to cross 101 Freeway," 14 Mar. 2018
For years, migrants who survived the perilous crossing of the sea arrived by the hundreds of thousands on Italy's southern coasts.

— author: jason horowitz, Anchorage Daily News, "Italy’s populist forces gain as voters reject Eurocentric political establishment," 5 Mar. 2018
Now that Europe has slammed its doors shut to migrants from Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq, and Nigeria, just to name a few countries, many are attempting to enter the United States via a long, arduous journey that includes a treacherous jungle crossing.

— krista stevens, Longreads, "How Much Would You Endure to Flee Persecution?," 1 Mar. 2018

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

First Known Use of crossing

1575

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

crossing Synonyms

Synonyms

corner, crossroad, crossway(s), intersection, junction;

circle, rotary, traffic circle;

CROSSING Defined for English Language Learners

crossing

noun

Definition of crossing for English Language Learners

: a place where two things (such as a street and a railroad track) cross each other
: a place where you can cross a street, stream, etc.
: the act of going across something

CROSSING Defined for Kids

crossing

noun cross·ing \ ˈkrȯ-siŋ \

Definition of crossing for Students

1 : a point where a line, track, or street intersects another line, track, or street

2 : a place provided for going across a street, railroad tracks, or a stream

3 : a voyage across a body of water

Learn More about crossing

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for crossing Spanish Central: Translation of crossing Nglish: Translation of crossing for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of crossing for Arabic speakers

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crossing

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crossing

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crossing

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