What does "crossback" mean?

Two pieces on the back of an item (for attaching or bracing it) which form an "X".

Crossback

noun, verb

noun, verb ·Uncommon ·Advanced level

Noun

1
Two pieces on the back of an item (for attaching or bracing it) which form an "X".
"The seats are benches with crossbacks; the desks have movable tops, but these are to be replaced by stools and good stationary desks."
2
An "X"-shaped railroad crossing sign.
"Where the traffic over a railroad crossing consisted of 5 locomotive round-trips weekly and 1,275 motor vehicles daily, the Commission held that public safety required not only standard reflector-type advance and crossback crossing warning signals be erected, but that a member of the train crew precede each locomotive, car or train across the highway and warn the traveling public."
3
A Catholic. derogatory, offensive
"They take everything the priests got and then zzzip." Melnick ran his fingers across his throat. "Sayonara, crossbacks."
4
A step in which one leg crosses behind the other.
"There is a constant crossback movement, first with one foot and then with the other."
5
A play in which the player with the ball crosses to one side of the field and then doubles back to the other.
"Ruddey made two on a crossback and Reddey was forced along for one., after which Hachah decided to punt, which he did forthwith, the ball alighting in Hart 's arms."

Show 6 more definitions

6
The measurement from the outer edge of one shoulder blade to the outer edge of the other.
"The crossback measurements of the Chinese subjects ranged from 35.56-43.18 cm (14.00-17.00 in)."
7
A hairpin bend.
"After two years of work, the maps they are drawing show some deadends, crossbacks, and long stops;"
8
A cross-course.
"The north section of the mine has also a crossback or cross-course, but the result at the crossing is so completely reversed that one is struck with astonishment to see the opposites in the same formation."
9
A return to the original course of action by one who previously changed to a different course of action, or the person making that return.
"An additional within-subject study of twenty-eight juveniles who experienced both diets (twelve crossover and sixteen crossbacks to the original diet) resulted in a 35 percent reduced incidence of antisocial behavior."
10
A cross between a hybrid species and one of the original parent species.
"The future progress of these varieties, and of the further crosses and crossbacks, therefrom, will be watched by this observer with the utmost hope and anticipation!"
11
A cross between a hybrid species and one of the original parent species.; A species resulting from such a crossback.
"Some years ago a group of hybrids and hybrid crossbacks named the Guyencourt Hybrids was introduced."

Verb

1
To cross a hybrid species with one of the original parent species.
"The rows which are as good as the resistant parent, we crossback to the high-yielding sort."

"The seats are benches with crossbacks; the desks have movable tops, but these are to be replaced by stools and good stationary desks."

* cross + back * (Catholic person): Alluding to Catholic priests wearing crosses on the backs of their vestments in church services.

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