criss-cross

views updated May 18 2018

criss-cross
A. †figure of a cross; †alphabet XVI;

B. transverse crossing (also adj., adv., and vb.) XIX. Early modEng. c(h)ris(se)-crosse, for Christscrosse figure of a cross, esp. as used in front of the alphabet in hornbooks and primers; in later sense usu. regarded as a redupl. formation on CROSS 1 with variation of vowel.

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