Meanings
nouncross spider (plural cross spiders)
plural cross spiders · alternative cross-spider
- The European garden spider (Araneus diadematus).
I gazed at the defenceless captives with a shuddering sense of security, until one day a cross-spider broke out of its cage and ran furiously over my hands and clothing.
1960, Gottfried Keller, translated by AM Holt, Green Henry, Calder Publications, published 2010, page 69
Synonyms & antonyms
Also see
Origin
From cross + spider, from the common marking found on their backs.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
APA
cross spider. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cross%20spider
MLA
“cross spider.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cross%20spider. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “cross spider,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cross%20spider.
Source: cross spider on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.