Cruciform
/ˈkruː.sɪ.fɔːrm/noun
Shaped like a cross.
Did you know?Cruciform comes from Latin crux, the same root behind crucifixion, so the word originally carried the stark image of a cross—not just a shape, but a symbol loaded with execution and devotion.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*kreu̯k-
“to bend, turn, or make crooked”
Latin
Latin
crux
“cross; stake used for execution”
Late Latin
Latin
cruciformis
“cross-shaped”
Old French
Old French
cruciforme
“cross-shaped”
14th–15th Century
English
cruciform
“having the form of a cross”
Modern English
English
cruciform
“shaped like a cross”
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