cross-

---

Etymology

From Middle English cros-, crosse-, from the noun (see cross) and also from across.

Prefix

1. Shaped like a cross or X; crossing lines.

   e.g. crossbody, crossbuck, cross-stitch

   Synonyms: stauro- Synonyms: xipho-

2. Perpendicular in angle; transverse.

   e.g. crossbedding, crossband, crossmember

   Synonyms: ortho-. See visuals for difference between crossband and crossbuck.

3. Moving from one side to the other; across.

   e.g. crossfield, cross-city. When used for a rectangular space, this movement is typically diagonal, such as in crossbelt and crosscourt.

   Synonyms: dia-.

   1. (metaphorical) Moving from one track or state to another.

      e.g. crossfeed as the process of blending the left and right channels of a stereo recording, crossfader, cross-link

      Synonyms: inter-

   2. On the opposite side of.

      e.g. crosstown, cross-cousin, cross-ratio

      Synonyms: contra-, Synonyms: para-

4. Moving or acting against, opposing, contrary.

   e.g. crossflow, cross-beat, cross-vote

   Synonyms: ana-, Synonyms: counter-

5. Located in between. Often, but not necessarily, forming an H-shaped structure.

   e.g. cross-passage, cross-tunnel, crossfire

   Synonyms: inter-

6. More than one, often in indicating applicability to several domains that are usually separate.

   e.g. crosslingual, cross-browser, crossfunctional, cross-cultural

   Synonyms: multi-, Synonyms: pluri-

   1. Involving two or more at the same time; coincident.

      e.g. crossbreak, crosspost, crosscurrent

      Synonyms: synchro-

   2. Comparing two sources of information, often to verify their contents.

      e.g. crossdate, crossvalidated, crosscovariance

      Synonyms: co-

   3. To combine two entities to create a hybrid.

      e.g. crossbreed, cross-pollinate, crosslinear

      Synonyms: zygo-

7. Mutual exchange or influence, where both entities are affected in the same way. Mutuality.

   e.g. crosstalk, crossrepression, crosscalibration, cross-progress

   Synonyms: ambi-

8. One entity affecting a similar entity, such as to transfer of one property from one entity to the other.

   e.g. crossregulation, crossfeed, crossprotection

   To crossfeed as to supply one fuel tank of an aircraft with fuel from another. To crossregulate is when one metabolic pathway is regulated by the enzymes in another pathway. These are one-way influences, whereas the previous sense of mutuality has symmetric two-way influences; e.g. crossrepression is mutual repression of interacting systems.

   Synonyms: trans-

9. Alternate, different.

   e.g. cross-tune, cross-birth, cross-live

   Synonyms: allo-, Synonyms: alter-

Synonyms

• (mutual) inter-, x- abbreviation

---

This text is extracted from the Wiktionary and it is available under the CC BY-SA 3.0 license | Terms and conditions | Privacy policy 0.002