criss cross

Lines meeting repeatedly

Crisscross describes a pattern of lines crossing each other at angles, forming X shapes or a grid: crisscross patterns on a waffle iron.

As a verb, to crisscross is to move back and forth across an area: We crisscrossed the country looking for work.

The word derives from Christ-cross, an old term for the mark of a cross.

Related

waffle pattern · lattice · grid · tic tac toe · diagonal · overlap · tangle · cat's cradle · braid · mesh · intertwine · train tracks · hopscotch · applesauce · checker · plaid · hatch · woven

Categories
Opposites
line orientation/pattern

criss crossparallel

Equidistant at all points

parallel lines · aligned · side by side · linear · unidirectional

movement direction

criss crosslinear

Arranged in straight succession

direct · one-way · beeline · straightforward · as the crow flies

orderliness/complexity

criss crossuncrossed

Not passed over

straight · uniform · regular · untangled · unwoven

Family

crisscrossed, crisscrossing, crisscrosses

Familiarity
Top 500,000
Profile
Known to kids · Used worldwide · Timeless · Concrete · Everyday, not technical · Rated G