The word "crosses" is spelled with the letter "s" at the end because it follows a a pluralization pattern. The root word "cross" is pronounced /krɒs/ in IPA phonetic transcription, with the "ss" sound at the end being pronounced as a voiceless alveolar fricative /s/. When pluralizing, an "-es" ending is typically added to words that end in sibilant sounds, such as /s/, /z/, /ʃ/ and /tʃ/. This is why we see the spelling of "crosses" instead of "crosss".
Crosses can refer to several different things depending on the context in which it is used.
Firstly, crosses can be a plural noun referring to two intersecting lines or objects that form an X shape. Commonly seen as a religious symbol, the cross is often associated with Christianity and represents the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. It is widely recognized as a symbol of faith and redemption.
Secondly, crosses can be a verb in the present tense, referring to the act of moving from one side to another, typically by passing over something. It can imply going across or traversing a physical or metaphorical boundary.
Additionally, crosses can be a noun in the plural form, indicating an angry or frustrated expression on a person's face. It suggests a feeling of annoyance, disappointment, or disapproval.
Furthermore, crosses can be a noun in the plural form, indicating an upset or unfortunate event or experience. It refers to a problem, difficulty, or hardship encountered in life. For example, "He has had his share of crosses to bear."
In genetics, crosses refers to the mating or breeding of individuals or organisms with different genetic makeups to produce offspring that inherit specific traits from each parent.
In finance and investments, crosses can refer to a foreign exchange transaction in which two different currencies are traded.
Overall, the meaning of "crosses" can vary depending on the context, ranging from a religious symbol to an expression of frustration or a genetic breeding technique.
* The statistics data for these misspellings percentages are collected from over 15,411,110 spell check sessions on www.spellchecker.net from Jan 2010 - Jun 2012.
The word "crosses" originates from the Old English word "cruc", derived from the Latin word "crux". It entered the English language around the 12th century and has its roots in Germanic, Old Norse, and Latin languages. The word "crux" in Latin denotes "cross", which in turn traces back to the Proto-Indo-European root *kreuh₂-, meaning "to cross" or "encounter". This root can be associated with concepts like "intersecting" or "meeting", reflecting the idea of two lines crossing paths to form a cross. Over time, the word "crosses" has been used to refer to the symbol of the cross as well as actions related to crossing or intersecting.