Word Study
across
CIDE DICTIONARY
across, prep. [Pref. a- + cross: cf. F. en croix. See Cross, n. ].
From side to side; athwart; crosswise, or in a direction opposed to the length; quite over; as, a bridge laid across a river. Dryden. [1913 Webster]
across, adv.
- From side to side; crosswise; as, with arms folded across. Shak. [1913 Webster]
- Obliquely; athwart; amiss; awry. [1913 Webster]"The squint-eyed Pharisees look across at all the actions of Christ." [1913 Webster]
OXFORD DICTIONARY
across, prep. & adv.
--prep.
1 to or on the other side of (walked across the road; lives across the river).
2 from one side to another side of (the cover stretched across the opening; a bridge across the river).
3 at or forming an angle (esp. a right angle) with (deep cuts across his legs).
--adv.
1 to or on the other side (ran across; shall soon be across).
2 from one side to another (a blanket stretched across).
3 forming a cross (with cuts across).
4 (of a crossword clue or answer) read horizontally (cannot do nine across).
--prep.
1 to or on the other side of (walked across the road; lives across the river).
2 from one side to another side of (the cover stretched across the opening; a bridge across the river).
3 at or forming an angle (esp. a right angle) with (deep cuts across his legs).
--adv.
1 to or on the other side (ran across; shall soon be across).
2 from one side to another (a blanket stretched across).
3 forming a cross (with cuts across).
4 (of a crossword clue or answer) read horizontally (cannot do nine across).
Idiom
across the board general; generally; applying to all.
Etymology
ME f. OF a croix, en croix, later regarded as f. A(2) + CROSS
THESAURUS
across
across the grain, against, astraddle, astride, athwart, athwartships, bendwise, beyond, bias, biased, biaswise, catercorner, catercornered, confronting, contrariwise, contrawise, crisscross, cross, cross-grained, crossway, crossways, crosswise, diagonal, facing, fronting, horseback, in front of, in opposition to, kittycorner, oblique, obliquely, on, on horseback, over against, overthwart, past, sideways, sidewise, slant, straddle, straddle-legged, straddleback, thwart, thwartly, thwartways, toward, transversal, transverse, transversely, traverse, versusROGET THESAURUS
across
Opposition
N opposition, antagonism, oppugnancy, oppugnation, impugnation, contrariety, contravention, counteraction, counterplot, cross fire, undercurrent, head wind, clashing, collision, conflict, competition, two of a trade, rivalry, emulation, race, absence of aid, resistance, restraint, hindrance, opposing, opposed, adverse, antagonistic, contrary, at variance, at issue, at war with, unfavorable, unfriendly, hostile, inimical, cross, unpropitious, in hostile array, front to front, with crossed bayonets, at daggers drawn, up in arms, resistant, competitive, emulous, against, versus, counter to, in conflict with, at cross purposes, against the grain, against the current, against the stream, against the wind, against the tide, with a headwind, with the wind ahead, with the wind in one's teeth, in spite, in despite, in defiance, in the way, in the teeth of, in the face of, across, athwart, overthwart, where the shoe pinches, in spite of one's teeth, though, even, quand meme, per contra, nitor in adversum.For further exploring for "across" in Webster Dictionary Online