Cross a.
1. Not parallel; lying or falling athwart; transverse; oblique; intersecting.
The cross refraction of the second prism. --Sir I. Newton.
2. Not accordant with what is wished or expected; interrupting; adverse; contrary; thwarting; perverse. “A cross fortune.”
The cross and unlucky issue of my design. --Glanvill.
The article of the resurrection seems to lie marvelously cross to the common experience of mankind. --South.
We are both love's captives, but with fates so cross,
One must be happy by the other's loss. --Dryden.
3. Characterized by, or in a state of, peevishness, fretfulness, or ill humor; as, a cross man or woman.
He had received a cross answer from his mistress. --Jer. Taylor.
4. Made in an opposite direction, or an inverse relation; mutually inverse; interchanged; as, cross interrogatories; cross marriages, as when a brother and sister marry persons standing in the same relation to each other.
Cross action Law, an action brought by a party who is sued against the person who has sued him, upon the same subject matter, as upon the same contract. --Burrill.
Cross aisle Arch., a transept; the lateral divisions of a cruciform church.
Cross axle. (a) Mach. A shaft, windlass, or roller, worked by levers at opposite ends, as in the copperplate printing press. (b) A driving axle, with cranks set at an angle of 90° with each other.
Cross bedding Geol., oblique lamination of horizontal beds.
Cross bill. See in the Vocabulary.
Cross bitt. Same as Crosspiece.
Cross bond, a form of bricklaying, in which the joints of one stretcher course come midway between those of the stretcher courses above and below, a course of headers and stretchers intervening. See Bond, n., 8.
Cross breed. See in the Vocabulary.
Cross breeding. See under Breeding.
Cross buttock, a particular throw in wrestling; hence, an unexpected defeat or repulse. --Smollet.
Cross country, across the country; not by the road. “The cross-country ride.” --Cowper.
Cross fertilization, the fertilization of the female products of one physiological individual by the male products of another, -- as the fertilization of the ovules of one plant by pollen from another. See Fertilization.
Cross file, a double convex file, used in dressing out the arms or crosses of fine wheels.
Cross fire Mil., lines of fire, from two or more points or places, crossing each other.
Cross forked. Her. See under Forked.
Cross frog. See under Frog.
Cross furrow, a furrow or trench cut across other furrows to receive the water running in them and conduct it to the side of the field.
Cross handle, a handle attached transversely to the axis of a tool, as in the augur. --Knight.
Cross lode Mining, a vein intersecting the true or principal lode.
Cross purpose. See Cross-purpose, in the Vocabulary.
Cross reference, a reference made from one part of a book or register to another part, where the same or an allied subject is treated of.
Cross sea Naut., a chopping sea, in which the waves run in contrary directions.
Cross stroke, a line or stroke across something, as across the letter t.
Cross wind, a side wind; an unfavorable wind.
Cross wires, fine wires made to traverse the field of view in a telescope, and moved by a screw with a graduated head, used for delicate astronomical observations; spider lines. Fixed cross wires are also used in microscopes, etc.
Syn: -- Fretful; peevish. See Fretful.
Frog n.
1. Zool. An amphibious animal of the genus Rana and related genera, of many species. Frogs swim rapidly, and take long leaps on land. Many of the species utter loud notes in the springtime.
Note: ☞ The edible frog of Europe (Rana esculenta) is extensively used as food; the American bullfrog (R. Catesbiana) is remarkable for its great size and loud voice.
2. Anat. The triangular prominence of the hoof, in the middle of the sole of the foot of the horse, and other animals; the fourchette.
3. Railroads A supporting plate having raised ribs that form continuations of the rails, to guide the wheels where one track branches from another or crosses it.
4. An oblong cloak button, covered with netted thread, and fastening into a loop instead of a button hole.
5. The loop of the scabbard of a bayonet or sword.
Cross frog Railroads, a frog adapted for tracks that cross at right angles.
Frog cheese, a popular name for a large puffball.
Frog eater, one who eats frogs; -- a term of contempt applied to a Frenchman by the vulgar class of English.
Frog fly. Zool. See Frog hopper.
Frog hopper Zool., a small, leaping, hemipterous insect living on plants. The larvæ are inclosed in a frothy liquid called cuckoo spit or frog spit.
Frog lily Bot., the yellow water lily (Nuphar).
Frog spit Zool., the frothy exudation of the frog hopper; -- called also frog spittle. See Cuckoo spit, under Cuckoo.