crosshead

Noun

crosshead (plural crossheads)

1. A metal beam that connects a piston to a connecting rod in an engine.
   • All the Connor characteristics are seen in this locomotive: sharply inclined cylinders let into the side framing, which was slotted to expose the crosshead; […].1945 January and February, “Notes and News: An Early Caledonian 2-4-0”, in Railway Magazine, page 47
2. Large text, like a headline but typically drawn from the article, placed partway through the article to break it up visually.
   • Other bits of furniture include [...] the crosshead, a short heading between paragraphs that breaks up a long piece.2023 January 31, Elisabeth Ribbans, “The perils of using journalist jargon outside the newsroom”, in The Guardian

   Synonyms:

   crossheading

3. A screw with a cross-shaped indentation for gripping and turning, as opposed to a flathead.
   • The screws were crossheads and the screwdriver was slightly too large for them, so he had to hold it at an angle.2015, Graham Masterton, Buried
4. (musical notation) A note with an x-shaped notehead, indicating a non-tonal sound such as a drumbeat or a rapped syllable.