[Originally an attrib. or elliptical use of CROSS adv., some participle (e.g., lying, passing, coming, etc.) being understood.]
No clear line can be drawn between this and various uses of CROSS- in combination, the employment of the hyphen being in many cases unfixed. See CROSS- 4, 5, 9.
1. Lying or situated athwart the main direction; transverse; passing from side to side. Also said fig. of things to which spatial relations are transferred.
1523. Fitzherb., Surv., xx. (1539), 41. Built with two crosse chambers of stone.
1570. Act 13 Eliz., c. 11 § 2. Vessels with cross Sails.
1583. Stanyhurst, Æneis, II. (Arb.), 66. Through crosse blynd allye we iumble.
1601. Shaks., Jul. C., I. iii. 50. The crosse blew Lightning.
1719. De Foe, Crusoe, I. xv. 253. Tying the string to the cross stick.
1761. Mrs. F. Sheridan, Sidney Bidulph, III. 255. The road for carriages between the two houses, being a cross one, was very bad.
1867. A. Barry, Sir C. Barry, vi. 230. The cross roofs connecting those in the main building.
fig. 1826. Disraeli, Viv. Grey, III. viii. How many cross interests baffle the parties.
1848. Mill, Pol. Econ., III. vii. § 1. It is easier to ascertain … the relations of many things to one thing, than their innumerable cross relations with one another.
1868. M. Pattison, Academ. Org., v. 146. Our position will not be confused by a cross issue.
b. Passing or lying athwart each other; crossing, intersecting.
1602. Marston, Ant. & Mel., Induct. As crosse as a pair of tailors’ legs.
a. 1619. Fotherby, Atheom., II. xi. § 2 (1622), 313. They runne in crosse courses; and yet doe not crosse one another, in their courses.
1653. Cloria & Narcissus, I. 84. To sit with his armes crosse, looking up at the heavens, as if he accused them for his sufferings.
1692. Bentley, Boyle Lect. (1693), II. 23 (J.). When they … advance towards one another in direct lines, or meet in the intersection of cross ones.
1799. G. Smith, Laboratory, II. 34. This is generally performed by little cross etchings, one over another.
1830. E. S. N. Campbell, Dict. Mil. Sc., 231. The honorable badge of a Regimental Colour supported by two cross Swords.
fig. 1684. R. H., Sch. Recreat., 147. The second is called Cross, so are its Methods cross and intricate.
c. Of the wind: Blowing across the direct course, contrary.
Sometimes with a blending of sense 4: adverse.
a. 1617. Bayne, On Eph. (1647), 60. Every winde, even the crossest, shall help us to the haven of true happinesse.
1675. Teonge, Diary (1825), 195. The wind crosse and very high all these days.
1725. De Foe, Voy. round World (1840), 25. Does the captain think … because we have met with cross winds, we must never meet with fair ones?
fig. 1678. R. L’Estrange, Seneca’s Mor. (1702), 498. Scipio by a Cross Wind, being forc’d into the Power of his Enemies, cast himself upon the Point of the Sword.
1763. Johnson, Lett. to G. Strahan, 14 July. My friendship is light enough to be blown away by the first cross blast.
d. Of the sea: said when the waves run athwart the direction of the wind, or when two sets of waves cross each other, owing to change of wind.
1823. W. Scoresby, Jrnl. Whale-Fishery, 375. A mountainous sea, rendered awfully heavy and cross by the sudden changing of the wind.
1866. Daily Tel., 18 Jan., 4/3. The terrific cross-sea constantly broke over her.
1867. Smyth, Sailor’s Word-bk., Cross-sea, a sea not caused by the wind then blowing.
† 2. Diagonally opposite in position (as in a quadrilateral). Obs. rare. Cf. CROSS-CORNER.
1646. Sir T. Browne, Pseud. Ep., III. v. 115. The progression of quadrupeds being performed per Diametrum, that is the crosse legs moving or resting together.
3. Contrary, opposite, opposed (to each other, or to something specified). (Now rarely predicative.)
1565. Calfhill, Answ. to Martiall (Parker Soc.), 72. I am ashamed of your too cross and overthwart proofs.
1602. Fulbecke, 1st Pt. Parall., Introd. 5. There is nothing in it which to the Law of God is crosse or opposite.
1631. May, trans. Barclay’s Mirr. Mindes, II. 220. Where they begin a little to differ, they will afterwards be crosse in all things from those men.
1646. E. F[isher], Mod. Divinity, 24. As if he were reduced to … straits … by the crosse demands of his severall attributes.
1674. Hickman, Hist. Quinquart. (ed. 2), 171. Is this Election cross to that of the Calvinists?
a. 1787. Lowth, Serm. & Rem., 414. Giving me answers so very cross to the purpose.
1865. Bushnell, Vicar. Sacr., III. iv. (1868), 307. It is cross to our humanly selfish habit.
4. Of events, circumstances or fortune: Adverse, opposing, thwarting; contrary to one’s desire or liking; unfavorable, untoward.
1565. Calfhill, Answ. to Martiall (Parker Soc.), 113. For when the Cross was most magnified, we had cross luck among.
1586. A. Day, Eng. Secretary, II. (1625), 69. Frame your selfe to beare all other crosse matters.
1607. Dekker, Northw. Hoe, II. Wks. 1873, III. 24. Such crosse fortune!
1676. Dryden, Aurengz., III. 1078. With Fate so cross One must be happy by the other’s loss.
1690. W. Walker, Idiomat. Anglo-Lat., 126. We had such cross weather.
1725. De Foe, Voy. round World (1840), 302. We had but a cross voyage … having contrary winds … and sometimes bad weather.
1780. Mad. D’Arblay, Lett., 14 Dec. Some … cross accident for ever frustrates my rhetorical designs.
5. Of persons, their dispositions, actions, etc.: † a. Given to opposition; inclined to quarrel or disagree; perverse, froward, contrarious. Obs. or arch.
1588. Shaks., Tit. A., II. iii. 53. Be crosse with him, and Ile goe fetch thy Sonnes to backe thy quarrel. Ibid. (1594), Rich. III., III. i. 126. My Lord of Yorke will still be crosse in talke.
1603. Knolles, Hist. Turks (1638), 304. No man … vnto his friends more friendly, or vnto his enemies more crosse and contrarie.
1685. Baxter, Paraphr. N. T., Matt. xi. 16–17. You are cross to us whatever game we play.
1770. Foote, Lame Lover, ii. Wks. 1799, II. 73. I hope you won’t go for to tell him … Indeed, Sir, but I shall … No, sister, I’m sure you won’t be so cross.
1857. C. L. Smith, trans. Tasso, IV. xxi. How vain are all thy judgments, and how cross.
b. Ill-tempered, peevish, petulant; in an irritable frame of mind, out of humor, vexed. (colloq.).
1639. T. B., Admirable Events, 341. The stepmother beholdes me with crosse lookes.
1676. Wycherley, Pl. Dealer, III. i. If she gives me but a cross word, I’ll leave her to-night.
1711. Swift, Jrnl. to Stella, 17 Nov. I just heard of the stir as my letter was sealed … and was so cross I would not open it to tell you.
1771. Mad. D’Arblay, Early Diary (1889), I. 120. He is equally ugly and cross.
1796. Jane Austen, Pride & Prej., II. x. I have never had a cross word from him in my life.
1835. Marryat, Jac. Faithf., viii. I can’t bear to be cross to him.
1860. Sala, Lady Chesterf., 43. The crossest of old maids.
c. Phr. As cross as two sticks (with play on sense 1 b).
1842. S. Lover, Handy Andy, ii. 20. The renowned O’Grady was, according to her account, ‘as cross as two sticks.’
1855. Ld. Houghton, in Life, I. xi. 518. [He] has been as cross as two sticks at not having been asked to dinner at Court.
6. Involving interchange or reciprocal action.
App. not used predicatively, and often hyphened as a case of combination (which is preferable).
1581. Lambarde, Eiren., II. iv. (1588), 164. In some cases … there may be a double (or crosse) restitution awarded.
1664. Dryden, Rival Ladies, I. ii. For hapning both to Love each other Sisters, They have concluded it in a cross Marriage.
1876. Douse, Grimm’s Law, xxxix. 81. The … phenomenon of a cross-transfer of a foreign sound to native words and a native sound to foreign words.
b. Book-keeping. Applied to accounts between two parties each of which has claims upon the other; also, to formal entries transferring amounts from one account to another, or made on opposite sides of an account so as to neutralize each other. (Here also cross- is more usually hyphened.)
1893. Gladstone, Sp. in Parliament, 12 Feb. We hope to escape cross accounts and cross payments on revenue accounts [i.e., between Imperial and Irish revenue].
7. Of animals and plants: Cross-bred; hybrid.
1886. York Herald, 7 Aug., 1/3. Lanark Auction Market…. Cross and other Lambs.
1889. ‘R. Boldrewood,’ Robbery under Arms (1890), 12. ‘Clearskins’ and ‘cross’ beasts.
8. slang. Dishonest; dishonestly come by. (Opposed to square or straight.) Cf. CROOKED 3 b, and CROSS sb. 29.
1892. ‘R. Boldrewood,’ Nevermore, I. ix. 168. ‘Selling him a cross horse as any man might have knowed was too good for them to own on the square.’ Ibid., x. 179. ‘He don’t know a cross cove from a straight ’un.’
¶ See also CROSS- II.
