# across

Pronunciation: US say "uh-KRAWS" /əˈkɹɔs/; UK say "uh-KROS" /əˈkɹɒs/

## Preposition

1. From one side of a particular thing, such as a road, river, or table, to its opposite side, whether going over it or lying or reaching over it.
   - Simple: From one side of a place or thing to the other side.
   - _They drove across the desert in just under two days._
   - _A cold wind blew across the open field all afternoon._
2. Through all parts of something; throughout a whole area or group.
   - Simple: In or through all parts of a place or group.
   - _The new policy was applied across all departments at once._
   - _Support for the team grew across the entire region._
3. On the other side of something such as a street, room, or area; often across from.
   - Simple: On the other side of something, such as a street or a room.
   - _The library stands across the square from the courthouse._
   - _Her cousin lives across the valley from the old mill._
7. So as to cross or pass over something at an angle rather than alongside it.
   - Simple: Going over or through something at an angle, crossing it.
   - _She wore the sash diagonally across her chest, from one shoulder to the opposite hip._
   - _A fallen branch lay across the railroad tracks at a sharp angle._
11. Fully informed about something and up to date on its latest developments; abreast of it.
   - Simple: Knowing all the latest facts about something.
   - _She stays across every change in the regulations._
   - _Our team is fully across the client's latest requirements._

## Adverb

4. Moving from one side to the other side of a gap or space.
   - Simple: From one side to the other side.
   - _The bridge was out, but a ferry took us across._
   - _She grabbed the rope and pulled herself across._
5. Placed after a measurement to state the width of something, or the diameter of something round, taken from edge to edge.
   - Simple: Used after a number to say how wide something is, from one edge to the other.
   - _The crater left by the meteor is nearly a mile across._
   - _Some of the lily pads in the pond grow to more than six feet across._
6. Already located on the far side of a space, such as a road or room, rather than moving over it.
   - Simple: Being on the other side of something.
   - _If we set sail at noon, we should be across before dark._
   - _Once the whole group was safely across, they pulled up the rope bridge._
8. Crosswise; at right angles to the length of something rather than along it.
   - Simple: From side to side of something, not along its length.
   - _Cut each carrot across into thin round slices for the soup._
   - _Slice the cucumber across rather than lengthwise to get thin, round coins for the salad._
9. Said after a crossword clue's number to show which way its answer goes: horizontally, from left to right.
   - Simple: Reading from left to right in a crossword.
   - _She announced that nine across spelled the name of a famous river._
   - _The clue for twelve across mentioned a Greek letter._

## Noun

10. A crossword answer that runs horizontally in the grid, or its matching clue.
   - Simple: A crossword answer that reads from left to right, or the clue for that answer.
   - _The long across at the top stumped the whole table._
   - _He penciled in three acrosses before checking any of the downs._

## Origin

Anglo-Norman an ("in, on") and croiz ("cross") combined into early Middle English a-croiz, later Middle English acros. On the surface it is simply a- + cross.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/across (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).