noun ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun

1. 1
   A crossing of two nerves, ligaments etc.
2. 2
   an intersection or crossing of two tracts in the form of the letter X wordnet
3. 3
   The contact point between the two chromatids of a chromosome during meiosis.
4. 4
   An instance of chiasmus. uncommon

Synonyms

All synonyms

chiasmcross sectiondecussationintersection

Etymology

Modern Latin, from Ancient Greek χῑ́ασμα (khī́asma), from χῑάζω (khīázō, “to mark with an X”).

Related phrases

optic chiasma

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.