crisscross

crisscross
\ \ [16] Crisscross is an alteration of Christscrosse, a term used from the 16th to 18th centuries for the figure of a cross (not specifically, as the name would seem to suggest, the crucifix). Gradually the original signification of the first syllable came to be lost, and the term fell into the pattern of reduplicated words (such as flipflop, singsong) in which a syllable is repeated with variation of the vowel. This may have contributed to the broadening of the word’s meaning to ‘pattern of repeated crossings’, which happened in the 19th century.

Word origins - 2ed. . 2005.

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  • CrissCross — Saltar a navegación, búsqueda CrissCross Título CrissCross Ficha técnica Dirección Chris Menges Producción Anthea Sylbert Guión Scott Sommer …   Wikipedia Español

  • Crisscross — Criss cross (kr?s kr?s ;115), adv. 1. In opposite directions; in a way to cross something else; crossing one another at various angles and in various ways. [1913 Webster] Logs and tree luing crisscross in utter confusion. W. E. Boardman. [1913… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Crisscross — Criss cross (kr?s kr?s ; 115), n. [A corruption of Christcross.] 1. A mark or cross, as the signature of a person who is unable to write. [1913 Webster] 2. A child s game played on paper or on a slate, consisting of lines arranged in the form of… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Crisscross — Criss cross , v. t. To mark or cover with cross lines; as, a paper was crisscrossed with red marks. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • crisscross — index cross (intersect), intertwine, traverse Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …   Law dictionary

  • crisscross — (v.) 1818, from M.E. crist(s) crosse Christ s cross (late 15c.), earlier cros kryst (late 14c.), referring to the mark of a cross formerly written before the alphabet in hornbooks. The mark itself stood for the phrase Christ cross me speed ( May… …   Etymology dictionary

  • crisscross — [kris′krôs΄] n. [ME Christcros, Christ s cross, the cross at the head of an alphabet, for the symbol X (Gr χ), abbrev. of Christ ( Christos)] 1. a mark made of two crossed lines (X), often used as a signature by people who cannot write their… …   English World dictionary

  • CrissCross — This article is about the 1992 film. For other uses, see Criss Cross. CrissCross Theatrical release poster Directed by Chris Menges …   Wikipedia

  • crisscross — criss|cross1 criss cross [ˈkrıskrɔs US kro:s] v 1.) [I and T] to make a pattern of straight lines that cross each other ▪ Railway lines crisscross the countryside. 2.) [T] to travel many times from one side of an area to another ▪ They spent the… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • crisscross — /kris kraws , kros /, v.t. 1. to move back and forth over: students crisscrossing the field on their way to school. 2. to mark with crossing lines. v.i. 3. to proceed or pass back and forth; be arranged in a crisscross pattern: The streets in… …   Universalium

  • crisscross — I. verb Etymology: obsolete christcross, crisscross mark of a cross Date: 1818 transitive verb 1. to mark with intersecting lines 2. to pass back and forth through or over intransitive verb 1. to go or pass back and forth 2. overlap, in …   New Collegiate Dictionary

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