Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- n. An image or figure of Jesus on the cross.
- n. A cross viewed as a symbol of Jesus's crucifixion.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- n. A cross, or representation of a cross, with the crucified figure of Christ upon it. Crosses with a representation of the crucified Christ seem not to have been made previous to the ninth century; upon those made for similar purposes before this date is painted or carved at the intersection of the arms of the cross the Lamb with or without the crossed flag, the sacred monogram, or some other emblem. Byzantine crucifixes of bronze exist of as early date as the tenth century, in which the flat surface of the cross is decorated with enamel, having the sun and moon as emblematic of creation witnessing the crucifixion; in these the body of Christ is generally partly clothed with a garment indicated in colored enamel. Crucifixes are used in many ways in the devotions and ceremonies of the Roman Catholic Church, being conspicuously displayed in religious houses and other situations, and worn upon the person by ecclesiastics and others.
- n. The cross of Christ; hence, the religion of Christ.
- To crucify.
Wiktionary
- n. A wooden cross used for crucifixions, as by the Romans.
- n. An ornamental or symbolic sculptural representation of Christ on a crucifix, often worn as a pendant or displayed in a Christian church.
- n. gymnastics The iron cross, a position on the rings where the gymnast holds the rings straight out on either side of the body.
GNU Webster's 1913
- n. A representation in art of the figure of Christ upon the cross; esp., the sculptured figure affixed to a real cross of wood, ivory, metal, or the like, used by the Roman Catholics in their devotions.
- n. rare The cross or religion of Christ.
WordNet 3.0
- n. representation of the cross on which Jesus died
- n. a gymnastic exercise performed on the rings when the gymnast supports himself with both arms extended horizontally
Etymologies
- Middle English, from Old French, from Late Latin crucifīxus, from Latin, past participle of crucifīgere, crucify; see crucify. (American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition)
Examples
“Not understanding the meaning of the crucifix is at least as stupid.”
“Judge Alejandro Valentin Sastre ruled that “the presence of religious symbols such as a crucifix is an element of aggression which infringes rights and freedoms”.”
“Directly below the crucifix is the door that leads to the chamber of the nuns.”
365 tomorrows » Devotion : A New Free Flash Fiction SciFi Story Every Day
“The ongoing row between the Catholic Church and the Spanish Government has erupted again after a judge banned the crucifix from a primary school.”
“If the centrality of the crucifix is eliminated, the common understanding of the meaning of the liturgy runs the risk of being distorted as a result.”
Mauro Gagliardi on the Centrality of the Crucified Christ in the Liturgical Celebration
“This changes with the third crucifix from the monastery, which is also in the former community's church and dated to 1330.”
Sensual Encounters: Monastic Women and Spirituality in Medieval Germany
“Note 45: "Also hatten si ein crucifix, für dz gie si gar dicke betten, vnd rette mit ime als ein frund mit dem andern ....”
Sensual Encounters: Monastic Women and Spirituality in Medieval Germany
“The word crucifix means fixed or nailed to the cross.”
“The prior took the crucifix from the altar, and ordering the porter to throw open the great doors (near where the incessant shouting seemed to proceed), he appeared before a turbulent band of soldiers, who were dragging a man along, fast bound with their leathern belts.”
“The crucifix is carved in old brown wood, and the sacred image is somewhat ludicrously disfigured by a wig of real hair.”
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘crucifix’.
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Postscripture ✞
Terms associated with the Christianity, The Bible, etc. I have a related, but more narrow list called Imbible Code.
A related list is Words Associated With Jesus.apostole, pharaoh, sodom, babel, sabbath, baptize, cherub, elohim, lapsarian, crucifixion, nephilim, hosanna and 195 more...
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RELI - words with Biblical connotations
Words in the Bible evoking biblical stories or with special spiritual meaning. Proper names have been reduced to the minimum.
ark, judgement, holy, saint, baptism, spirit, love, eternal, altar, balsam, covenant, flood and 1115 more...
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RELI - words you immediately associat...
advent, almighty, altar, anoint, apostle, archangel, ark, Balaam, baptism, baptist, baptize, begotten and 341 more...
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religion
who is this god person, anyway? (--Douglas Adams)
sachristy, vestry, diocese, papal, cardinal, pope, polygamy, seven, father, chaplain, vestments, blessing and 227 more...
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Evil eye
apotropaic, laughter, garlic, silver bullet, bruxa, amulet, rabbit's foot, crucifix, excantation, witch ball, heart stake, horseshoe and 20 more...
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X Marks the Spot
Words ending in "x" (except proper nouns and trademarks)
ax, ex, ox, soapbox, smallpox, six, sex, sax, rex, pressbox, climax, chickenpox and 208 more...
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dandy's list
favourite words
cattywampus, wibble, fenagle, whisker, sneeze, wisteria, honeysuckle, clove, perihelion, glimmer, twilight, dusk and 264 more...
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Latinate
lorem ipsum, citius, altius, fortius, curriculum vitae, bona fide, terra nullius, habeas corpus, quidnunc, voir dire, emeritus, quincunx and 99 more...
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The Sog Collection
My big word list.
chaos, flaccid, empirical, flotsam, cacophony, grumble, assuage, awe, romance, mortality, coalesce, fortuitous and 3282 more...
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Junk
walrus, fascination, broadway, fickle, downturn, bridge, gargle, rotunda, mesh, fab, shortlife, strumming and 304 more...
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words found to be generally pleasing
alabaster, mahogany, camphor, coalesce, spire, portmanteau, gadabout, palaver, dolor, dour, dun, luminesce and 610 more...
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dyy's Words
ambivalence, irony, double-edged sword, paradox, struggle, plunge, buoy, pigeon-hole, ultimately, status quo, fuel, undermine and 230 more...
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thegirlnextfloor's list
autumnal, avalanche, silhouette, antique, abysmal, scorch, sonic, surge, symmetry, whisper, penchant, dissipate and 349 more...
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amazing grace
hymn, nave, narthex, chapel, novice, asperges, altar, annunciation, liturgical, litany, nicene creed, cloister and 209 more...
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Palabrarium
The delicious wonderful words that I love terribly dearly and without which, the world would be a less inventive and worthwhile place. Also, ostensibly, the reason 1984 and esperanto secretly suck.
panoply, footpad, piccalilli, snickersnee, marl, hispid, greengage, slumgullion, golliwog, mumbletypeg, circumlocution, quiescent and 366 more...
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the one god
monk, chaplain, chapel, nave, reliquary, vicar, stigmata, genuflect, lent, transubstantiation, crucifix, tabernacle and 7 more...
Tweets
Looking for tweets for crucifix.

chained_bear Eesh! Yeah, lots of people seem not to know that a cross without a "little man on it" is just a cross. A crucifix by definition has a corpus. Dec 9, 2007
bilby Reminds me of a bit from a monologue by Ben Elton. Supposedly a true story, he's standing in a jeweller's and overhears the following conversation:
Customer: Do you have any crucifixes?
Salesgirl: Umm, what's that?
Customer: You know, a pendant that's like a cross.
Salesgirl: Ooh, yes! Would you be wanting a plain one or one with a little man on it? Dec 8, 2007