crossing

crossing — noun

1. a place designed for people or vehicles to get safely across a road, railway tra

1.nounA2
Definition

a place designed for people or vehicles to get safely across a road, railway tracks, a river, or a national border.

Example

Minh waited at the pedestrian crossing for the traffic light to turn green.

pedestrian crossing — safe place to cross a road

The bus stopped just before the railway crossing as the warning bells started ringing.

railway crossing — where a road meets train tracks

Common collocations
  • pedestrian crossing
  • railway crossing
  • border crossing
  • river crossing
  • zebra crossing
  • level crossing
Synonyms
  • junction

    any point where roads meet; not specific to crossing from one side to the other

  • intersection

    where two roads cross; more general than 'crossing', not used for rivers or borders

Grammar Patterns

crossing + noun (pedestrian crossing)

at/on + crossing

Usage Note

Often combined with a preceding noun that specifies what kind of crossing it is: pedestrian crossing, railway crossing, border crossing, river crossing. The word 'crossing' alone can refer to any of these, but the specific noun is more common when clarity matters.

Common Mistakes

I need to find a cross to get to the other side.
I need to find a crossing to get to the other side.
'cross' is a verb or a religious symbol; 'crossing' is the noun for the place.

2. a journey by boat from one side of a large body of water to the opposite side.

2.nounB1
Definition

a journey by boat from one side of a large body of water to the opposite side.

Example

The ferry crossing from the island to the mainland takes about two hours.

ferry crossing — by scheduled passenger boat

Esme felt seasick during the rough crossing of the Irish Sea.

rough crossing — describes weather conditions at sea

Common collocations
  • ferry crossing
  • sea crossing
  • rough crossing
  • smooth crossing
  • overnight crossing
  • Atlantic crossing
Synonyms
  • voyage

    a long journey by sea; slightly more formal and suggests a greater distance

  • passage

    a sea journey, especially from one port to another; can also mean a section of a longer voyage

Grammar Patterns

crossing + of [body of water]

adjective + crossing

Usage Note

Almost always refers to travel by water, not by air. 'Smooth crossing' and 'rough crossing' are common collocations describing the sea conditions during the trip.

Common Mistakes

The flight crossing was very long.
The sea crossing was very long.
'crossing' for a journey by water is standard; for flights, use 'flight' or 'journey'.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

'Crossing' is the broadest term, covering any place where one moves from one side to another — a pedestrian crossing on a street, a railway level crossing, or a border crossing between countries. 'Junction' (B1) focuses specifically on the point where two or more roads meet or join, regardless of whether anyone crosses. 'Intersection' (B2) is the US-preferred term for where roads cross at a junction, often controlled by traffic lights. 'Crosswalk' (A2, US) or 'zebra crossing' (A2, UK) refers only to the marked area on a road where pedestrians have priority to cross. For example, 'Turn left at the next junction' doesn't tell you where to walk across, but 'Use the crosswalk to get to the other side of the street' is a specific instruction for pedestrians. Choose 'crossing' when the focus is on the act of going from one side to the other, and 'junction' or 'intersection' when the focus is on the meeting point of roads.

crossing ↗junction ↗intersection ↗crosswalk

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • level crossing
  • zebra crossing
  • border crossing
  • ferry crossing
  • rough crossing
  • smooth crossing

Prepositions

  • at a/the crossing
  • on the crossing
  • across the crossing
  • during the crossing

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

Derived from the verb 'cross', which comes from Old French 'croistre', ultimately from Latin 'crux' meaning 'cross'. The noun 'crossing' appeared in Middle English, originally referring to the act of making the sign of the cross, and later (by the 16th century) to the act of passing across something and to places where crossing is possible.