Link Centre Dictionary

crossword

cross·word

UK/ˈkɹɒswɜː(ɹ)d/ US/ˈkrɔˌswɜrd/ uncommon informal obsolete

noun

1.

a puzzle in which words corresponding to numbered clues are to be found and written in to squares in the puzzle

Origin

From cross + word. Various word puzzles referred to as "crosswords" date back to the 1860s. The modern crossword puzzle was invented in 1913 by Arthur Wynne, who coined the name word-cross - crossword first appeared a few weeks later as a typographical error or deliberate transposition.

Phrases

  • crossword enigma
  • cryptic crossword
  • two-speed crossword

Related words

Word family

Broader terms

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.