Dictionary

uncross en · VERB

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *né Proto-Indo-European *n̥- Proto-Germanic *un- Proto-West Germanic *un- Old English un- Middle English un- English un- English cross English uncross From un- + cross.

Meanings

1. (transitive) To move something, especially one's arms or legs, from a crossed position.
   • Then she fell back on the altar and her fingers dangled loosely on its edge, her feet uncrossed and lay beside each other. 1965, Attila Zohar, Kings Cross Black Magic, Sydney: Horwitz Publications, page 32:
2. (transitive) To undo the crossing or traversal of (something).
   • I want nothing more than to run through the crowd of people and throw myself into his arms, but I can't. You can't rewrite the past, and once lines have been crossed, you can't uncross them. 2014, DeAnna Holland, No Place Like Home:
   • “Don't call me stupid. I mean it. My parents don't ever call each other names. Name-calling and being nasty just breaks things and crosses lines you can't uncross.” 2015, Abigail Tarttelin, Flick, page 201:

Forms