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Definition of "crosswise" [cross•wise]

  • So as to be or lie in a cross direction; across: placed the kindling crosswise to the rest of the wood. (adverb)
  • Crossing: a crosswise piece. (adjective)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "crosswise" in a sentence
  • "He held his sword crosswise in those hands, and the men behind him took the signal."
  • "Upon arriving at the other edge of the vat, the curd is then cut crosswise, that is, at right angles to the previous cutting direction."
  • "In the first place it is to be observed that they can be counted either upwards, or downwards, or crosswise, that is to say, collaterally."