Cross purpose

Cross purpose
Cross Cross (kr[o^]s), a. 1. Not parallel; lying or falling athwart; transverse; oblique; intersecting. [1913 Webster]

The cross refraction of the second prism. --Sir I. Newton. [1913 Webster]

2. Not accordant with what is wished or expected; interrupting; adverse; contrary; thwarting; perverse. ``A cross fortune.'' --Jer. Taylor. [1913 Webster]

The cross and unlucky issue of my design. --Glanvill. [1913 Webster]

The article of the resurrection seems to lie marvelously cross to the common experience of mankind. --South. [1913 Webster]

We are both love's captives, but with fates so cross, One must be happy by the other's loss. --Dryden. [1913 Webster]

3. Characterized by, or in a state of, peevishness, fretfulness, or ill humor; as, a cross man or woman. [1913 Webster]

He had received a cross answer from his mistress. --Jer. Taylor. [1913 Webster]

4. Made in an opposite direction, or an inverse relation; mutually inverse; interchanged; as, cross interrogatories; cross marriages, as when a brother and sister marry persons standing in the same relation to each other. [1913 Webster]

{Cross action} (Law), an action brought by a party who is sued against the person who has sued him, upon the same subject matter, as upon the same contract. --Burrill.

{Cross aisle} (Arch.), a transept; the lateral divisions of a cruciform church.

{Cross axle}. (a) (Mach.) A shaft, windlass, or roller, worked by levers at opposite ends, as in the copperplate printing press. (b) A driving axle, with cranks set at an angle of 90[deg] with each other.

{Cross bedding} (Geol.), oblique lamination of horizontal beds.

{Cross bill}. See in the Vocabulary.

{Cross bitt}. Same as {Crosspiece}.

{Cross bond}, a form of bricklaying, in which the joints of one stretcher course come midway between those of the stretcher courses above and below, a course of headers and stretchers intervening. See {Bond}, n., 8.

{Cross breed}. See in the Vocabulary.

{Cross breeding}. See under {Breeding}.

{Cross buttock}, a particular throw in wrestling; hence, an unexpected defeat or repulse. --Smollet.

{Cross country}, across the country; not by the road. ``The cross-country ride.'' --Cowper.

{Cross fertilization}, the fertilization of the female products of one physiological individual by the male products of another, -- as the fertilization of the ovules of one plant by pollen from another. See {Fertilization}.

{Cross file}, a double convex file, used in dressing out the arms or crosses of fine wheels.

{Cross fire} (Mil.), lines of fire, from two or more points or places, crossing each other.

{Cross forked}. (Her.) See under {Forked}.

{Cross frog}. See under {Frog}.

{Cross furrow}, a furrow or trench cut across other furrows to receive the water running in them and conduct it to the side of the field.

{Cross handle}, a handle attached transversely to the axis of a tool, as in the augur. --Knight.

{Cross lode} (Mining), a vein intersecting the true or principal lode.

{Cross purpose}. See {Cross-purpose}, in the Vocabulary.

{Cross reference}, a reference made from one part of a book or register to another part, where the same or an allied subject is treated of.

{Cross sea} (Naut.), a chopping sea, in which the waves run in contrary directions.

{Cross stroke}, a line or stroke across something, as across the letter t.

{Cross wind}, a side wind; an unfavorable wind.

{Cross wires}, fine wires made to traverse the field of view in a telescope, and moved by a screw with a graduated head, used for delicate astronomical observations; spider lines. Fixed cross wires are also used in microscopes, etc.

Syn: Fretful; peevish. See {Fretful}. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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  • Cross Purpose — Studio album by Spooky Tooth Released Feb 23, 1999 Recorded Jul 22, 1 …   Wikipedia

  • cross-purpose — cross pur pose ( p?r p?s), n. 1. A counter or opposing purpose; a contrary aim; hence, that which is inconsistent or contradictory. Shaftesbury. [1913 Webster] 2. pl. A conversational game, in which questions and answers are made so as to involve …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • cross-purpose — [krôs′pʉr′pəs] n. a contrary or conflicting purpose at cross purposes having, or acting under, a misunderstanding as to each other s purposes …   English World dictionary

  • cross-purpose — cross′ pur′pose n. an opposing or contrary purpose • at cross purposes Etymology: 1660–70 …   From formal English to slang

  • cross-purpose — noun Date: 1668 a purpose usually unintentionally contrary to another purpose of oneself or of someone or something else usually used in plural < the two were always working at cross purposes > …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • cross-purpose — /kraws perr peuhs, kros /, n. 1. an opposing or contrary purpose. 2. at cross purposes, in a way that involves or produces mutual misunderstanding or frustration, usually unintentionally. [1660 70] * * * …   Universalium

  • cross-purpose — noun A contrary or conflicting purpose or understanding, especially an unintentional or misconceived one. We are working at cross purposes here, if youre trying to reduce the count and Im trying to increase it …   Wiktionary

  • cross-purpose — /krɒs ˈpɜpəs / (say kros perpuhs) noun 1. an opposing or contrary purpose. –phrase 2. be at cross purposes, (sometimes followed by with) to be involved in a misunderstanding, such that each person makes a wrong interpretation of the other s… …  

  • cross-purpose — noun a contrary aim (Freq. 1) at cross purposes • Hypernyms: ↑purpose, ↑intent, ↑intention, ↑aim, ↑design …   Useful english dictionary

  • cross purpose — contrary purpose, purpose that opposes another, involuntarily conflicting purpose …   English contemporary dictionary

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