cross-section

/'krɔs'sekʃn/

Thân thiện

A diagram shows a cross-section of a tree trunk.

Definition

1. Noun:

   • A surface or shape that is exposed by making a straight cut through something, especially at right angles to an axis: This is the primary geometric meaning, referring to the shape you see when you slice through an object.
   • A representative sample of a larger group: This figurative meaning refers to a group that is typical of a whole population in terms of its characteristics or composition.

2. Adjective (Attributive use only):

   • Representing a plane made by cutting across something at right angles to its length: Used to describe a view, diagram, or model that shows such an interior slice.

Usage Examples

• Noun (Geometric):

  • The diagram shows a cross-section of the human heart.
  • Geologists study the rock's cross-section to understand its layers.

• Noun (Representative Sample):

  • The survey interviewed a cross-section of American voters.
  • The audience was a broad cross-section of society.

• Adjective:

  • The textbook includes a cross-section diagram of a plant stem.
  • We need a cross-section view to see the internal components.

Advanced Usage

• "in cross-section": When viewed or considered as if cut through.
  • The fossil, seen in cross-section, revealed intricate cellular structures.
• Used in fields like statistics, sociology, and engineering to imply a snapshot or a typical slice of data or material at a specific point.

Variants and Related Words

• Cross-sectional (Adjective): Of or relating to a cross-section; involving a comparison across different groups at one point in time.
  • The study used cross-sectional data from 2020.

Synonyms

• Profile (for the geometric sense, e.g., a side view or contour).
• Slice (for the geometric sense).
• Sample (for the representative group sense).
• Microcosm (for the representative group sense, implying a small, representative system).

Related Phrases

• Cross-section of opinion: A range of different views representative of a larger group.
  • The committee sought a cross-section of opinion before making a decision.

Idioms

Học thuật

Adjective

1. representing a plane made by cutting across something at right angles to its length
   • cross-section views of the neck

Từ đồng nghĩa

• cross-section
• cross-sectional