Definition

1. Noun:
   • The act or action of moving or traveling across something: "Crossing" refers to the act of going from one side to the other of a physical space, such as a body of water, road, or border.
   • A place where something is crossed: A specific location, often marked or designed, where a street, river, railway, or other feature can be traversed.
   • The intersection of two lines, paths, or routes: A point where two things, such as roads or genetic lineages, meet or intersect.
   • The act of mixing or interbreeding: In genetics, the act of combining different species or varieties to produce hybrids.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • The crossing of the Atlantic by ship took two weeks. (The voyage across the Atlantic Ocean took two weeks.)
  • Use the pedestrian crossing to get to the other side of the street safely. (Use the marked path to get to the other side of the street safely.)
  • The accident happened at the railway crossing. (The accident happened at the point where the road crosses the railway tracks.)
  • The crossing of these two plant varieties produced a new hybrid. (The mixing of these two plant varieties produced a new hybrid.)

Advanced Usage

• "Grade crossing" (chiefly North American): An intersection where a railway line and a road cross at the same level.
  • The gates close when a train approaches the grade crossing.
• "Zebra crossing" (chiefly British): A pedestrian crossing marked with broad white stripes.
  • Always stop for people waiting at the zebra crossing.
• "To make a crossing": To complete a journey across a body of water.
  • The ferry makes several crossings a day between the islands.

Variants and Related Words

• Cross (verb): To go or extend across from one side to another.
  • Be careful when you cross the road.
• Crossbred (adj): Produced by crossing different breeds or varieties.
  • A crossbred dog.
• Crosswalk (noun): Another term for a pedestrian crossing, especially in North American English.
  • Wait at the crosswalk for the signal.

Synonyms

• Traversal: The act of crossing or passing across, over, or through.
• Intersection: A point or line common to lines or surfaces that intersect; a junction.
• Ford: A shallow place in a river or stream where one can cross by wading or driving.

Related Phrasal Verbs/Phrases

• Cross over: To move from one side to another; to change from one state, style, or category to another.
  • The artist crossed over from jazz to pop music.
• Cross paths (with someone): To meet someone by chance.
  • I crossed paths with an old friend at the market.

Related Idioms

• A chicken crossing the road: Often used as the setup to a joke, but literally refers to the simple act of a chicken moving across a roadway.
  • Why did the chicken cross the road? To get to the other side.
• To have a crossing of the wires: A situation where there is a misunderstanding or miscommunication (a figurative use).
  • We must have had a crossing of the wires; I thought the meeting was tomorrow.

Noun

1. a voyage across a body of water (usually across the Atlantic Ocean)
2. (genetics) the act of mixing different species or varieties of animals or plants and thus to produce hybrids
3. a path (often marked) where something (as a street or railroad) can be crossed to get from one side to the other
4. a junction where one street or road crosses another
5. a point where two lines (paths or arcs etc.) intersect
6. a shallow area in a stream that can be forded
7. traveling across