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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Noun
There’s a large homeschooling population, and, about fifteen miles from downtown, a Catholic organization runs a property affectionately known as Catholic Familyland—a cross between a summer camp and a retreat center.—Emma Green, New Yorker, 17 Apr. 2026 With officers trailing behind, the suspect sped through a red light, nearly striking cross traffic at an intersection.—Matthew Rodriguez, CBS News, 17 Apr. 2026
Verb
Both have been forced to leave their homes, both have crossed a border, and both become refugees in a foreign country.—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 21 Apr. 2026 The defendant was walking down this hall and instead of TM waiting like everyone else does, TM crossed in front of the defendant like the defendant was not there.—Robert McGreevy, FOXNews.com, 21 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for cross
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
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
George Bernard Shaw
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