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crossman. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
crossman, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
crossman in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
crossman you have here. The definition of the word
crossman will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of
crossman, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
English
Etymology
From cross + -man; perhaps related to on the cross (“dishonestly”).
Noun
crossman (plural crossmen)
- (slang, obsolete) A thief, forger, or other criminal.
1848, Ned Buntline, The Mysteries and Miseries of New York: A Story of Real Life, Part 1, New York: Benford & Co., page 33:There is a house in Cherry street, not far from Catherine Market […] . A little to the north of its door stands an old-time tree; and for many a year it has been known to the “crossmen” and “knucks” of the town as “Jack Circle's watering place” and “fence.”
References
- John Camden Hotten (1873) The Slang Dictionary
French
Etymology
Pseudo-anglicism, derived from cross + -man
Pronunciation
Noun
crossman m (plural crossmen or crossmans, feminine crosswoman)
- (male) cross-country runner
See also