crossed letter

noun

A letter written using the method by which text is written in one direction, the paper is then turned ninety degrees, and then additional text is written perpendicularly over the first set, creating a grid; mainly in order to save paper and expensive postage in the 19th century.

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Meanings

nouncrossed letter (plural crossed letters)

plural crossed letters

  1. historicalA letter written using the method by which text is written in one direction, the paper is then turned ninety degrees, and then additional text is written perpendicularly over the first set, creating a grid; mainly in order to save paper and expensive postage in the 19th century.

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
criss-cross letter
Cite this entry
APA

crossed letter. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/crossed%20letter

MLA

“crossed letter.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/crossed%20letter. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “crossed letter,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/crossed%20letter.

Source: crossed letter on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.