cross hair
- noun
- /krɔs hɛr/
- Specialized
:
retículo
- Using the cross hairs in the scope made it easier to focus on the distant object.
Examples
-
The marksman aligned the target with the cross hairs before taking the shot.
-
I got him in the cross hairs.
-
She adjusted the cross hairs of the telescope to get a clear view of the stars.
Synonyms
11
4.1
A small set of lines on a sight or screen that shows the exact point to aim at
Thin lines in a scope or camera view that show where you aim
Thin crossed lines in devices like a telescope or microscope that help you aim
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly derivable from 'cross' (intersecting lines) + 'hair' (a very thin filament), i.e. very thin intersecting lines used for aiming. The metaphorical use of 'hair' to mean a fine line is common and the compound follows a transparent descriptive composition that a B1 learner who knows both words can readily interpret.
Etymology
Cross hair comes from old sights that used very thin hairs or lines that cross each other to make a small mark to aim at. That's why a cross hair is the fine lines in a scope or microscope used to 'aim' or 'measure' exactly.