Criss

Part of speech: verb, noun

Definitions

1. To cross or intersect each other in a pattern, often creating an intricate design
2. Referring to lines or paths that meet at various angles, forming a network or crossing point
3. To form a pattern where two or more elements overlap or intersect at various angles, creating a visually engaging layout

Etymology: Medieval children learned their letters from hornbooks, sheets of printed alphabet that often began with a small cross. That cross was called the "Christ-cross," and the alphabet that followed it became known as the "Christ-cross-row," a name that carried religious weight even in a schoolroom. The same term also named the cross-shaped mark people made in place of a signature. Over time the first part was shortened to "criss," and the phrase moved from the cross itself to any pattern of lines meeting one another. The modern verb and noun keep the sense of crossing, while the religious origin survives only in the sound.

Synonyms: cross, intersect, crisscross

Antonyms: separate, divide