acrossa‧cross /əˈkrɒs $ əˈkrɒːs/ ●●● S1 W1 adverb, preposition 
the first flight across the Atlantic They ran straight across the road (=without stopping). We’ll have to swim across. We’d got halfway across before Philip realized he’d left his money at home. We gazed across the valley.2towards someone or something on the other side of an area: There’s Brendan. Why don’t you go across and say hello?across to/at The referee looked across at his linesman before awarding the penalty. He walked across to where I was sitting.3used to say that something exists or reaches from one side of an area to the other: a deep crack across the ceiling the only bridge across the river Do you think this shirt is too tight across the shoulders? Someone’s parked right across the entrance to the driveway.4on the opposite side of something: My best friend lives across the road. He knew that just across the border lay freedom.across (something) from somebody/something Across the street from where we’re standing, you can see the old churchyard. the woman sitting across from me (=opposite me) on the train5in every part of a country, organization etc: a TV series that became popular across five continents Teachers are expected to teach a range of subjects right across the curriculum.6used to show how wide something isten feet/five metres etc across The river is 2 kilometres across.
WORD ORIGINacross
Origin:
1200-1300 Anglo-French an crois ‘in cross’EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- This street's too busy to walk across.
Longman Language Activatorsomeone who officially tries to prove that someone is guilty
from one side of something to the other: · The children ran across the road.· I've always wanted to sail across the Atlantic.· We gazed across the valley.· The traffic was heavy so it took a long time to get across.across to: · He walked across to the window.
going from one side of something to the other, especially by flying, jumping, climbing, or using a bridge: · A cat jumped over the fence.· the road over the mountains· one of the bridges over the Rhine
from one side or end of something to the other -- use this about going through a town, a forest, or a crowd, or looking through a hole, window etc: · I pushed my way through the crowd.· walking through the forest· We drove through Baltimore on our way to Washington.· I could see her through the window.· The trip through the tunnel takes about 40 minutes.· We found a gap in the fence and climbed through.
: transatlantic/transcontinental/trans-European etc going a long distance across a large area of land or water: · transatlantic flights· the first transcontinental railroad
to go from one side of something to the other, for example to cross a river or road, or to cross a field or room: · Antonia went to cross the street to buy us some sodas.· He plans to cross the Himalayas on foot.· How are we going to cross the river?· Before you cross, make sure there are no other cars coming.
to go straight across something such as a field or road to save time, instead of going around it or by a longer way: · Farmers have begun putting up fences to prevent visitors from cutting across their land.· They moved south along the edge of a field, then cut across Highway 18.
to go across an area such as a garden, a wood, or a group of buildings, instead of going around it on a path or road, because it is quicker: · Instead of taking the main road I cut through the churchyard and jumped over the wall at the bottom.· Her house wasn't far, if he cut through the woods.
a journey across an area of water or group of mountains: · The Atlantic crossing took nearly three months.· His party made the first east-west crossing of the Sierra Nevada in 1833.
for everyone or affecting everyone · Don't worry. There's plenty of food for everyone.· Inflation is falling, and that's good news for everyone.be better for everyone · Sometimes I think it would be better for everybody if I wasn't here.
British all around American if people get something all round or all around , someone gives something to everyone: · Bernie ordered drinks all round.· After presents all around, we all tucked into our Christmas dinner.
if something, especially a change, happens across the board , it affects or involves everyone, especially in a company or organization: · They decided on a pay increase of 10% across the board.· Jobs will be lost across the board, in manufacturing, marketing, and administration.right/all across the board: · The changes will cause problems right across the board.
an expression meaning for everyone - use this especially when talking about something that everyone deserves to have, such as a job, or freedom: · In an ideal society there would be jobs for all.· In his acceptance speech the President promised civil rights for all.
to be opposite something or someone something that is opposite something else is facing it, for example on the other side of the street or on the other side of a table. In American English this is not used as an adverb: · The bathroom is opposite the bedroom.· When you get off the bus, you'll see a grocery store on the opposite side of the street.directly opposite (=exactly opposite): · The entrance to the park is directly opposite our house.diagonally opposite (=opposite and to one side): · Diagonally opposite the stove is a large stone sink.the house/chair/man etc opposite: · Pointing to the chair opposite, he said "Come and talk to me for a while."sit/stand etc opposite: · There was a thin dark woman sitting opposite me.live opposite (=to live in the opposite house): · The only contact she has is with the woman who lives opposite.
if one person, building, seat etc faces another, they are opposite each other, and each has their front towards the other: · Courtney's apartment faces the harbour.· The seat facing mine was empty.· They stood facing each other for a few minutes.
: across the street/road/river/table etc opposite from where you are, and on the other side of the street, road etc: · She lives across the road.· The prisoners' cells faced each other across an aisle.across the street/road etc from somebody/something: · Bill sat down across the desk from him.· Across the street from where we were standing was a little park.across from (=across the road from a place): · There's a hotel across from the station where we can go.
if two people are face to face , they are very close to and facing each other: sit/stand face to face: · We sat face to face across a narrow table.· They stood face to face, each struggling to control his temper.come face to face with somebody (=suddenly and unexpectedly face someone): · Turning the corner I came face to face with a security guard.
on the opposite side of something: · If you look across the lake, you can see Donald's house on the other side.on the other side of: · You can park on the other side of the road.· There was a little boat moored on the other side of the river.
how wide something is use this to ask or talk about how wide something is: · How wide is the main hall?· I'm not sure how wide the window is.
use this to say exactly how wide something is: · The river is over a mile wide here.· Cut a strip of paper 3cm wide.
use this to say exactly how wide something is: · a narrow opening only a few metres across
how wide something is: · Carpets are available in several different widths.width of: · The huge vehicle took up the whole width of the road.· Can you just measure the width of the door?
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY They ran straight across the road (=without stopping). Someone’s parked right across the entrance to the driveway. He knew that just across the border lay freedom. Teachers are expected to teach a range of subjects right across the curriculum. The river is 2 kilometres across.COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES I don’t think I came across very well (=seemed to have good qualities) in the interview. I was groping my way blindly through the trees. planes winging their way to exotic destinations
They ran straight across the road (=without stopping). Someone’s parked right across the entrance to the driveway. He knew that just across the border lay freedom. Teachers are expected to teach a range of subjects right across the curriculum. The river is 2 kilometres across.· Over 100,000 civilians fled across the border.
I don’t think I came across very well (=seemed to have good qualities) in the interview.· I walked across the field to the gate.
I was groping my way blindly through the trees.· The light fell on her book.
(=make people understand it)· I think we got our point across.
(=they smile)· A faint smile spread across her face.
planes winging their way to exotic destinations (=in many parts of the world)· We have 950 customers around the world.
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES► be blazed across/all over something► come across somebody/something► across the piece► across the piste► put yourself across► a shot across the bows/a warning shot (across the bows)
1from one side of something to the other: - The manufacturer's name is blazoned across an event of worthwhile significance.
- Jobs will be lost across the board, in manufacturing, marketing, and administration.
- The changes will cause problems right across the board.
- They're cutting 10% of their staff across the board.
- They decided on a pay increase of 10% across the board.
- In the end, the only system that works well, across the board, is the one that involves perfect imitation.
- State education spending began to drop under the Dukakis administration in 1988, when huge budget deficits caused cutbacks across the board.
- Sunlight came into the room, slanting across the boards in languid diamonds.
- Tariffs will be lowered across the board, but some industries will be protected for another 15 years.
- The changes, if reported correctly, will cause problems right across the board.
- The cumulative results impressively followed suit, and that improvement could be found across the board.
- The departures screen Grand Central Station was no help, reading cancelled across the board because schedules were too tentative to post.
- The two main aims were achieved across the board.
- Hardly glancing at Berowne's body Dalgliesh picked his way across the carpet to Harry Mack and squatted beside him.
- I picked my way through the noisy tables and went into the Gents.
- Publishers and booksellers will have to pick their way through a landscape made strange and problematic by change.
- So four of us took our stirrup pumps and torches and picked our way through what was a minefield.
- The Arvins came picking their way through rubble, nervous as rats, poking people aside with the barrels of their M-16s.
- There was just one lock, and I picked my way through it with ease.
- They picked their way through broken pieces of furniture, their feet crunching across splintered glass and wood.
- We pick our way across the cement floor and into the battered portacabin.
- Simply stretch the wire to and fro across the pond from picture hook to picture hook.
- Sling a piece of garden netting across the pond to keep out leaves which will sour the water.
- Lights were strung across the promenade; around the Casino.
- Burns will tell his board today that the Sports Council wants a non-voting member watching over the way the cash is spent.
- Carroll was puzzled over the way Protestants who had always feared priests could now demand his services.
- Just across the way is the wild-looking tip of Cumberland Island, a nature refuge where wild horses trample the sands.
- Lots of people from the neighborhood assemble in the street, across the way, to watch.
- Solicitors will have the same immunity as barristers from legal actions over the way they conduct cases in court.
- The Braves, meanwhile, sat across the way, with the air conditioning blowing in a manufactured winter.
- Then I remembered my quandary over the way one looked at X-rays.
- Those across the way claimed ringside seats on wooden chairs, each sitter shielded by a thick cotton-lace curtain.
the first flight across the Atlantic They ran straight across the road (=without stopping). We’ll have to swim across. We’d got halfway across before Philip realized he’d left his money at home. We gazed across the valley.2towards someone or something on the other side of an area: There’s Brendan. Why don’t you go across and say hello?across to/at The referee looked across at his linesman before awarding the penalty. He walked across to where I was sitting.3used to say that something exists or reaches from one side of an area to the other: a deep crack across the ceiling the only bridge across the river Do you think this shirt is too tight across the shoulders? Someone’s parked right across the entrance to the driveway.4on the opposite side of something: My best friend lives across the road. He knew that just across the border lay freedom.across (something) from somebody/something Across the street from where we’re standing, you can see the old churchyard. the woman sitting across from me (=opposite me) on the train5in every part of a country, organization etc: a TV series that became popular across five continents Teachers are expected to teach a range of subjects right across the curriculum.6used to show how wide something isten feet/five metres etc across The river is 2 kilometres across.- house guest
- household
- Household Cavalry
- householder
- house husband
- housekeeper
- housekeeping
- housemaid
- houseman
- house martin
- housemaster
- housemate
- housemistress
- house music
- house of cards
- House of Commons
- House of Lords
- House of Representatives
- house party
- housephone
- houseplant
- houseproud
- houseroom
- house-sit
- housesitter