Cross-head. World English Historical Dictionary

Cross-head. World English Historical Dictionary Dictionary Biographies Literary Criticism Welcome Terms of Service ⧏ Previous Next ⧐ Contents Slice Contents Key Bibliographic Record Murray’s New English Dictionary. 1893, rev. 2025. Cross-head

sb. [CROSS- 4.]

1

  1.  The bar at the end of the piston-rod of a steam-engine, which slides between straight guides, and communicates the motion to the connecting-rod, etc.

2

1827.  Mech. Mag., VIII. 2. Can the cross-head, side rods, cranks, shaft … be reduced?

3

1861.  T. L. Peacock, Gryll Grange, xx. 179. Vibrating … with one invariable regulated motion like the cross-head of a side-lever steam engine.

4

  attrib.  1850.  Weale, Dict. Terms, Cross-head guides, in locomotive engines, the parallel bars between which the cross-head moves. Cross-head blocks … the parts which slide between the parallel guides.

5

  2.  A heading to a paragraph printed across the page or column in the body of an article.

6

1888.  Pall Mall Gaz., 1 Sept., 11/2. In two cases Mr. Knowles allows frequent ‘cross-heads.’

7

  Hence Cross-head v., to furnish with a cross-head (sense 2).

8

1890.  Pall Mall Gaz., Jan. The Tablet … cross-heads one of its paragraphs ‘The Need of the Confessional.’

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