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cross-country

cross-country

5 3.4
Across open land without using roads or tracks
  • adverb
  • /ˈkrɔsˈkʌntri/
translation icon : a campo traviesa
  • The adventure involved hiking cross-country through fields and forests, experiencing nature up close.
  • cross-country skiing
  • cross-country skis
  • cross-country skier

And then last summer, my two boys and I drove cross country.

Examples

  • I love cross-country running.

  • Recall years ago driving my old Fiat 124 through Vegas up towards Saint George on the way cross country to Massachusetts.

    Blog text (24)
  • I drove big trucks cross-country for several years.

    Blog text (7)
  • You know, people are out riding bikes, hiking, cross-country skiing.

  • I'll look forward to reading about your cross-country ski or snowshoe treks on that trail this winter!

    Blog text (20)
  • Think about that the next time you're driving cross-country and you see a locomotive hauling a hundred cars.

    Blog text (7)
  • I've taken my daughter on exactly one flight—when we were moving cross country.

    Blog text (31)
  • I don't necessarily like Kerouac, and driving cross-country isn't my idea of a good time, but the guy's got a point.

  • The first visit in 2001 was a twenty-four-day cross-country train trip from the southeastern border of the Russian Federation to St. Petersburg.

    Academic text (2003)
  • Cross-country skiing, sledding, skating, and other low-speed wintertime activities are also part of Norway's sports scene.

    Blog text (8)

How Direct

cross-country
5 3.4
off-roading
3 5.1
trackway
1 7.0
byroad
  • UK
7.7

Surface Forms

cross-country positive

Etymology

Cross-country comes from the simple parts cross ('across') and country ('land'). It literally means going 'across the country' or over open land instead of along roads, so you can picture walking or running straight over fields and hills.