crosshair

noun

cross·​hair ˈkrȯs-ˌher How to pronounce crosshair (audio)
: a fine wire or thread in the focus of the eyepiece of an optical instrument used as a reference line in the field or for marking the instrumental axis
used figuratively to describe someone or something being targeted as if through an aiming device having crosshairs
… in the crosshairs this political seasonJ. H. Alter

Examples of crosshair in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Also in his crosshairs is wife Val (Heather Graham), who fled here with their daughter Grace (Ava Monroe Tadross) to find and warn Thomas herself. Dennis Harvey, Variety, 11 Apr. 2025 By Wednesday, an area encompassing 70 million people from Texas to Illinois and Ohio will be in the storm's crosshairs. Christopher Cann, USA Today, 1 Apr. 2025 The presiding judge in the case is James Boasberg, who is now in Trump’s crosshairs over the judge’s recent ruling on a separate case related to deportations. Ashley Oliver, The Washington Examiner, 5 Apr. 2025 But while each firm in Mr. Trump’s crosshairs faces similar risks, their responses have differed. Henry Gass, Christian Science Monitor, 3 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for crosshair

Word History

First Known Use

1684, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of crosshair was in 1684

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Cite this Entry

“Crosshair.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crosshair. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

cross hair

noun
: one of the very thin wires or threads in the eyepiece of an optical instrument (as a microscope) used as a reference line
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