Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner's English Dictionary - across

Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English. Note: In addition to the uses shown below, 'across' is used in phrasal verbs such as ‘come across’, ‘get across’, and ‘put across’. 1. If someone or something goes across a place or a boundary, they go from one side of it to the other. She walked across the floor and lay down on the bed... He watched Karl run across the street to Tommy. ...an expedition across Africa. PREP • Across is also an adverb. Richard stood up and walked across to the window. ADV: ADV after v 2. If something is situated or stretched across something else, it is situated or stretched from one side of it to the other. ...the floating bridge across Lake Washington in Seattle... He scrawled his name across the bill... PREP • Across is also an adverb. Trim toenails straight across using nail clippers. ADV: ADV after v 3. If something is lying across an object or place, it is resting on it and partly covering it. She found her clothes lying across the chair... The wind pushed his hair across his face. = over PREP 4. Something that is across something such as a street, river, or area is on the other side of it. Anyone from the houses across the road could see him... When I saw you across the room I knew I’d met you before. PREP • Across is also an adverb. They parked across from the Castro Theatre... ADV: ADV after v, usu ADV from n 5. If you look across at a place, person, or thing, you look towards them. He glanced across at his sleeping wife... ...breathtaking views across to the hills. ADV: ADV after v, oft ADV prep 6. You use across to say that a particular expression is shown on someone’s face. An enormous grin spread across his face... = over PREP 7. If someone hits you across the face or head, they hit you on that part. Graham hit him across the face with the gun. PREP 8. When something happens across a place or organization, it happens equally everywhere within it. The film ‘Hook’ opens across America on December 11... PREP 9. When something happens across a political, religious, or social barrier, it involves people in different groups. ...parties competing across the political spectrum... across the board: see board PREP 10. Across is used in measurements to show the width of something. This hand-decorated plate measures 30cm across... ADV: amount ADV