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a·cross (ə-krôs, ə-krŏs)
Share:
prep.
1. On, at, or from the other side of: across the street.
2. So as to cross; through: drew lines across the paper.
3. From one side of to the other: a bridge across a river.
4. Into contact with: came across my old roommate.
adv.
1. From one side to the other: The footbridge swayed when I ran across.
2. On or to the opposite side: We came across by ferry.
3. Crosswise; crossed.
4. In such a manner as to be comprehensible, acceptable, or successful: put our idea across; get a message across.
adj.
Being in a crossed position: seated with arms across.
[Middle English acrois, from Anglo-Norman an croiz : an, in (from Latin in; see IN-2) + croiz, cross (from Latin crux; see CROSS).]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

    Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

    Indo-European Roots

    Semitic Roots

    The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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