crisscross
crisscross — adjective
- crisscrosspositive
- more crisscrosscomparative
- most crisscrosssuperlative
1. having a pattern of straight or curving lines that cross over one another
having a pattern of straight or curving lines that cross over one another
From the airplane window, the crisscross streets of the old city looked like a neat grid.
attributive use: crisscross + noun (streets)
The oak dining table had a crisscross diamond pattern carved into its dark wooden surface.
Ananya wore a shirt with a crisscross pattern of thin red and blue stripes.
The gardener installed a crisscross wire fence to stop rabbits from digging into the vegetable patch.
A crisscross network of hiking trails connects all the major campsites and viewpoints in Yosemite National Park.
- intersecting
more formal, focuses on the fact that lines meet rather than the visual pattern
- crossed
simpler but less descriptive of the repeated pattern
- lattice
used specifically for a grid-like crisscross, as in window frames or garden structures
文法句型
crisscross + noun (attributive)
be + crisscross (predicative)
用法筆記
The adjective is most commonly used before a noun (a crisscross pattern). As a predicative adjective (the pattern is crisscross), it is less frequent.
常見錯誤
crisscross — noun
1. a shape or design made by lines that cross one another, or a network of such cro
a shape or design made by lines that cross one another, or a network of such crossing lines
Diego drew a crisscross of lines on the paper to plan a maze for his sister.
pattern: a crisscross of + plural noun
From the tower, the crisscross of railway tracks looked like a giant metal spiderweb.
Amara noticed a crisscross of fine cracks running across the old plaster wall.
The gardener marked out the flower beds with a crisscross of white string and wooden pegs.
A crisscross of footprints in the snow showed where the children had been playing tag.
文法句型
a crisscross of + noun
用法筆記
When used as a noun, crisscross is almost always singular and followed by 'of' plus a plural noun describing the crossing elements (a crisscross of roads, a crisscross of wires).
crisscross — verb
- crisscrosspresent simple I / you / we / they
- crisscrosses3rd person singular
- crisscrossing-ing form
- crisscrossedpast simple
1. to draw or make a pattern of crossing lines on a surface
to draw or make a pattern of crossing lines on a surface
Before adding colour, Haruto crisscrossed the sketch with light pencil strokes.
active: crisscross + object
The old wooden table was crisscrossed with scratches from years of daily use.
passive: be crisscrossed with + noun
Fatima crisscrossed the map with a red pen to show the team's hiking route.
The kids crisscrossed the page with crayon lines in green, blue, and orange.
The carpenter crisscrossed the wooden board with shallow cuts to add texture.
- cross-hatch
more technical; used in drawing and engraving for closely spaced crossing lines
- score
more general; making lines by cutting or marking, not necessarily crossing
文法句型
crisscross + noun (surface)
be crisscrossed with + noun
用法筆記
This sense is often used in the passive form 'be crisscrossed with' to describe a surface that naturally has crossing marks (The field was crisscrossed with animal tracks).
2. to form a network of lines, paths, or routes that cross over one another at many
to form a network of lines, paths, or routes that cross over one another at many different points within an area
Narrow alleys crisscross the old town centre, linking the main square to the river.
transitive: crisscross + [area]
Sandy hiking trails crisscross through the pine forest behind Blue Mountain, linking three different camp shelters.
intransitive: trails crisscross (through/over)
Several rivers crisscross the valley, creating rich soil for rice farming.
Power cables crisscross above the street between wooden poles on both sides.
Bike paths crisscross the campus, making it easy to get between classes quickly.
- run parallel
lines that never cross
文法句型
[paths/lines] + crisscross
crisscross + [area]
用法筆記
Unlike the simpler verb 'cross' (which describes a single intersection), 'crisscross' implies many crossings at different points, forming a network or pattern.
常見錯誤
3. to move repeatedly across an area in many different directions, especially while
to move repeatedly across an area in many different directions, especially while searching for something or delivering things
Search teams crisscrossed the mountain for three days before finding the lost hiker.
search context: crisscross + [area] + for [duration]
The delivery driver crisscrosses the city every morning to drop off packages.
Scientists crisscrossed the bay in small boats to count the migrating whales.
Kiran crisscrossed the library twice but could not find the book on Korean history.
The postman crisscrosses the neighbourhood on foot six days a week, rain or shine.
文法句型
crisscross + [area/region]
用法筆記
This sense describes human or vehicle movement rather than line patterns. The object is typically a large area that the subject covers by moving back and forth across it.