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.
Marvel Rivals, the free-to-play hero shooter with Overwatch blatantly in its crosshairs, launched this week to a surging player base on Steam. Jason Evangelho, Forbes, 7 Dec. 2024 The schools’ chief has been in the mayor’s and CTU’s crosshairs for nearly six months for refusing to take out a $300 million high-interest loan that would help pay for a new four-year union contract and a pension payment previously covered by the city. Nell Salzman, Chicago Tribune, 4 Dec. 2024 One of Iran’s signature filmmakers — and among those most often in the theocratic government’s crosshairs — the 52-year-old auteur, now living in exile in Europe, tells the story of a family whose social standing becomes threatened by simmering societal tensions right outside their door. Tim Grierson, Los Angeles Times, 28 Nov. 2024 One semi-successful venture during World War II was using spider silk for the crosshairs in bomb sites due to the fiber's minimal size and optical properties. William A. Haseltine, Forbes, 27 Nov. 2024 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

Dictionary Entries Near crosshair

Cite this Entry

“Crosshair.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crosshair. Accessed 23 Dec. 2024.

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
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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