cross-country

American  

[kraws-kuhn-tree, kros-, kraws-kuhn-tree, -kuhn-, kros-] / ˈkrɔsˌkʌn tri, ˈkrɒs-, ˈkrɔsˈkʌn tri, -ˌkʌn-, ˈkrɒs- /

adjective

1. directed or proceeding over fields, through woods, etc., rather than on a road or path.

   a cross-country race.

2. from one end of the country to the other.

   a cross-country flight.

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noun

plural

cross-countries

1. a cross-country sport or race.

cross-country British  

adjective

1. by way of fields, woods, etc, as opposed to roads

   cross-country running

2. across a country

   a cross-country railway

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noun

1. a long race held over open ground

Etymology

Origin of cross-country

First recorded in 1760–70

Example Sentences

As I became a teenager and a cross-country runner, complaints were voiced about my various odors.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 2026

Trucks have shipped video tapes cross-country from a storage facility in Burbank to a new facility in New Jersey that houses the CBS News archives.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 23, 2026

They bonded over cross-country running and a shared mischievous streak that involved trying to hack their school’s Wi-Fi to avoid submitting homework.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 11, 2026

Double Summer Paralympic gold medallist Lauren Parker will make her Winter Games debut when she represents Australia in the biathlon and cross-country events.

From Barron's • Mar. 6, 2026

When you’re younger you haven’t developed the muscles of steel necessary to keep from wee-weeing on cross-country trips or long Sunday mornings.

From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy