Meaning of cross In English

• 0 to go across from one side of something to the other:

  • It's not a good place to cross the road.

  • Look both ways before you cross over (= cross the road).

  • Cross the bridge and turn right.

  • They crossed from Albania into Greece.

  • It crossed my mind yesterday that you must be short of staff.

  • It never once crossed my mind that she might be unhappy.

• 1 to put one of your arms, fingers, or legs over the top of the other:

  • She sat down and crossed her legs.

• 2 to annoy someone by not doing or saying what they want:

  • I wouldn't cross him if I were you, not if you value your life.

• 3 If you cross a plant or animal with another of a different type, you cause them to breed together in order to produce a new variety (= type of plant or animal).

• 4 in some sports, to hit, kick, or throw the ball across the playing area to another player, not forwards or backwards:

  • He crossed (the ball) to Bremer, who somehow failed to score from two metres out.

• 5 to draw two lines across the middle of a cheque to show that it needs to be paid into a bank account:

  • a crossed cheque

• 6 a written mark (x or +) formed by two lines going across each other. The mark x is usually used to show where something is, or that something has not been written correctly.

• 7 an object made of one long upright piece of wood, with a smaller piece across it near the top. In the past, people were tied or fastened with nails to crosses as a punishment and left hanging on them until they died.

  • Christ died on the Cross.

  • She wears a gold cross around her neck.

  • The priest made the sign of the cross (= moved his or her hand down and then across the chest) over the dead bodies.

  • In Britain, the Victoria Cross is awarded for acts of great bravery during wartime.

• 8 a mixture of two different things that have been combined to produce something new:

  • Police dogs are often a cross between a retriever and a German Shepherd.

• 9 in some sports, a kick, hit, or throw of the ball that goes from one side of the playing area to the other, not forwards or backwards:

  • He headed the ball into the net, after a great cross from Pele.

• 10 annoyed or angry:

  • My Dad gets cross (with me) if I leave the kitchen in a mess.

• 11 across:

  • cross-border

  • cross-party discussions

• 12 if you cross a cheque, you draw two lines across the middle of it to show that it must be paid into a bank account:

  • a crossed cheque