Word.ws English Dictionary

cross channel

cross channel is the alternative spelling of cross-channel.

Noun

cross channel (plural cross channels)

  1. A minor channel connecting two larger channels running parallel to each other
    • the Sulina, which runs on from the Danube in an eastern direction, forming, with the Kilia and a cross channel between the two arms, the deltoid islands of Lete and Chatel or Tchetal1866, Charles Knight, The English cyclopaedia, volume 1, page 1068
  2. A cross- current
    • The channel across the Sandness is formed by the action of the seas, with winds from north-easterly and easterly points, throwing up the sand and obstructing the ebbing current in its progress to sea... My idea of the best mode of stopping the present cross channel, is to drive a double row of...1818 (March 9) Second Report, Tidal Harbours Commission App.C, Supp.2, No.12 (John Rennie); p.18 (in Sessional Papers of the House of Lords, Vol.48)

Meaning of cross-channel

Adjective

cross-channel (not comparable)

  1. (UK) Relating to the English Channel; to, from, or on the Continent; involving both Britain and the Continent, especially France
    • The intelligent ship-owner will rejoice to find, that in the partition of trade, which is the inevitable consequence of a state of peace, England still retains the lion's share; whilst for a fine weather and cross channel trade, our neighbours (to use a mariner's phrase) can put to sea in a...1834, Michael Thomas Sadler, “The Sadlerian School of Political Economy”, in Selections from the Edinburgh review, volume 6, page 154
  2. (Ireland, dated) Relating to the body of water between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland (the Irish Sea, Saint George's Channel, and the North Channel); to, from, or in the other of the two islands
    • Effect on the Revenue by the alteration of the Cross Channel Trade: The Acts of last Session of Parliament in regard to the removal of foreign goods between Great Britain and Ireland...1825 (February 24) House of Lords Sessional Papers, v.120: Tenth report of the Commissioners of Inquiry into the Collection and Management of the Revenue arising in Ireland, Scotland, etc. p.233

Forms of cross channel

Adjective
alternative formcross-channel
Noun
pluralcross channels

Origin of cross channel

cross + channel

Questions about cross channel

What does cross channel mean?
Cross channel means a minor channel connecting two larger channels running parallel to each other.
What is cross channel the alternative spelling of?
Cross channel is the alternative spelling of cross-channel.
What part of speech is cross channel?
Cross channel is a noun.
What is the plural of cross channel?
The plural of cross channel is cross channels.

Words near cross channel in the dictionary

  1. cross bottony
  2. cross brace
  3. cross braces
  4. cross cap
  5. cross caps
  6. cross channel
  7. cross channels
  8. cross check
  9. cross checked
  10. cross checking
  11. cross checks

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: cross channel (page history and authors); cross-channel (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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Cite this entry: “cross channel.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/cross_channel. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.