Crossplay
noun, verb ·Uncommon ·Advanced level
Definitions
- 1 The ability to record data with one device and play back the data on a different, compatible device. uncountable
"The problem with the crossplay of plastic-based (Mylar) tape is that it's pliable; any difference in temperature or mechanical stress, induced by various transports, will distort track patterns recorded on the compliant tape."
- 2 A form of cosplay in which one dresses up as a character of the opposite sex. uncountable
"Incidentally, I'm not sure you're bucking the trend so much as going along with it; FTM crossplay is getting pretty popular, although you see more women going for bishounen and visual-kei genderfucky stars than anything else."
- 3 Subordinate communication between participants in a conversation. uncountable
"Although in all three events the requests were performed in front of and for the benefit of the student audience as intended bystanders, the crossplay observed in the guest-student episode was absent from the guest-teacher interactions."
- 4 Cross-platform multiplayer functionality. uncountable
- 1 To cosplay as a character of the opposite sex. intransitive
"[Replying to: "Really, I'll be wearing a costume as well...] Me too...but I won't be crossplaying..."
- 2 To cosplay as (a character of the opposite sex). transitive
"BTW, one can be a touch hefty and pull off Urd. You don't even have to be a woman. A *guy* crossplayed Urd at C-Kon and won the cosplay contest!"
- 3 To roleplay as a character of the opposite sex, especially in a MUD. intransitive
"Admittedly, BruceMud attracted more than its usual share of weenies, but as a female wizard I received even more attention for being female than I did on most other sites. Note that it wasn't exactly a secret that I was crossplaying. I seem to recall Random bitching at Julia for reporting that I was female on more than one occasion."
Example
More examples"The problem with the crossplay of plastic-based (Mylar) tape is that it's pliable; any difference in temperature or mechanical stress, induced by various transports, will distort track patterns recorded on the compliant tape."
Etymology
From cross- + play.
[Alt: Photograph of two Star Wars cosplayers: A woman dressed as the male character Han Solo and a man dressed as the female character Princess Leia.] Blend of cross-dressing + cosplay.
Related phrases
More for "crossplay"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.