Cross
/krɒs/noun
A structure or symbol consisting of two intersecting lines, especially the Christian symbol of the crucifixion.
Did you know?English got *cross* from Latin *crux*, the same word behind *crucial* and *excruciating*, so even our language still remembers the pain of the cross.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*sker-
“to turn, bend, or curve”
Latin
Latin
crux
“a cross; an instrument of torture and execution”
Late Latin
Latin
cruciare
“to torture, torment”
Old English
English
cros
“the Christian cross”
Middle English
English
cross
“the cross; later also to move or lie across”
Modern English
English
cross
“a symbol of intersecting lines; also to go from one side to another”
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