across

[uh-kraws, uh-kros] /əˈkrɔs, əˈkrɒs/
preposition
1.
from one side to the other of:
a bridge across a river.
2.
on or to the other side of; beyond:
across the sea.
3.
into contact with; into the presence of, usually by accident:
to come across an old friend; to run across a first edition of Byron.
4.
crosswise of or transversely to the length of something; athwart:
coats across the bed; straddled across the boundary line.
adverb
5.
from one side to another.
6.
on the other side:
We'll soon be across.
7.
crosswise; transversely:
with arms across.
8.
so as to be understood or learned:
He couldn't get the idea across to the class.
9.
into a desired or successful state:
to put a business deal across.
adjective
10.
being in a crossed or transverse position; crosswise:
an across pattern of supporting beams.
Origin
1470-80; a-1 + cross
Examples from the web for across
  • The fossa is filled with fatty tissue across which numerous fibrous bands extend from side to side.
  • To the contrary, it changes across time and space, in response to the movements it opposes.
  • Public universities across the country are engaged in an all-out war for out-of-state students.
  • Surely huge herds of animals walking across vast, open plains.
  • Research often involves teams of scientists collaborating across continents.
  • The footsteps of lizards have left tiny, delicate patterns across the dunes.
  • These days, accessing the same files across multiple devices can be a feat.
  • Twenty-nine universities across the country have started a project to extend their high-speed networks to surrounding communities.
  • Soon they were all in the water, this long line of wildebeests surging across.
  • Send up some rooster tails as you zip across the lake on water skis.
British Dictionary definitions for across

across

/əˈkrɒs/
preposition
1.
from one side to the other side of
2.
on or at the other side of
3.
so as to transcend boundaries or barriers: people united across borders by religion and history, the study of linguistics across cultures
4.
fully informed about; dealing with: we are across this problem
adverb
5.
from one side to the other
6.
on or to the other side
Word Origin
C13: on croice, acros, from Old French a croix crosswise
Word Origin and History for across
adv.

early 14c., acros, earlier a-croiz (c.1300), from Anglo-French an cros "in a crossed position," literally "on cross" (see cross (n.)). Prepositional meaning "from one side to another" is first recorded 1590s; meaning "on the other side (as a result of crossing)" is from 1750. Phrase across the board originally is from horse-racing, in reference to a bet of the same amount of money on a horse to win, place, or show.

Idioms and Phrases with across

across

In addition to the idiom beginning with
across
also see: