le croisement
intersection
Endroit où deux routes, deux lignes ou deux chemins se coupent ou se rencontrent.
Definition & meaning
Croisement is a masculine French noun meaning crossing, intersection, or crossbreeding, depending on the context.
-
An intersection or crossing point
It refers to the place where two roads, paths, or lines meet or cross.- un croisement de rues — a street intersection
- au prochain croisement — at the next intersection
-
The act of crossing
It can describe the act of crossing one route, path, or direction with another. -
Crossbreeding or hybridization
In biology and agriculture, it means breeding two different varieties, breeds, or species together to produce offspring with combined characteristics.- le croisement de deux races — the crossbreeding of two breeds
-
A chance encounter or meeting
In a figurative sense, it can describe two people or paths meeting.- le croisement de deux destins — the meeting or intersection of two destinies
Grammar & Word origin
- Part of speech: masculine noun
- Article: un croisement
- Plural: des croisements
The word is formed from the verb , “to cross,” plus the suffix -ment, which forms nouns expressing an action or its result. It is related to , “cross,” ultimately deriving from Latin crux.
Synonyms & antonyms
Synonyms
- — an intersection, especially where roads or lines meet; this is the closest synonym in the traffic or geometry sense.
- — a crossroads or road junction; it usually refers more specifically to a place where several roads meet.
- — a crossing or intersection, often used in more literary or specialized contexts.
- — hybridization; this is appropriate specifically for biological or agricultural crossbreeding.
- — mixing or interbreeding between different populations, cultures, or groups; it has a broader social or cultural sense than croisement.
Antonyms
There is no single exact antonym for all meanings of croisement. Depending on the context, possible opposites include:
- — separation, the opposite of paths, people, or elements meeting.
- — distancing or moving apart.
- — parallelism, when lines or paths do not intersect.
Common phrases & collocations
- un croisement de rues — a street intersection
- un croisement de chemins — a crossroads; literally, a crossing of paths
- au prochain croisement — at the next intersection
- un croisement de races — crossbreeding of breeds
- un croisement génétique — a genetic cross
- un croisement de regards — an exchange or crossing of glances
- un croisement de chemins — a meeting or intersection of paths, literally or figuratively
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Examples
Le chat traverse le croisement.noun
The cat is crossing the intersection.
Les automobilistes ralentissent toujours aux croisements dangereux.noun
Motorists always slow down at dangerous intersections.
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