crossfire

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English

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Etymology

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From cross- +‎ fire.

Pronunciation

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 crossfire on Wikipedia

Noun

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crossfire (countable and uncountable, plural crossfires)

  1. (military) An arrangement of two or more weapons so each can fire diagonally at something in front of a line between them.
  2. The danger to a third party passing between two belligerents firing at one another.
    The two factions were either side of the road. A civilian lorry was caught in the crossfire and became collateral damage
  3. The danger to a third party passing between a gunman and his target.
    • 2024 May 15, Geneva Abdul, “Woman hit in London drive-by shooting was not intended target, police say”, in The Guardian[1]:
      A woman who was caught in the crossfire of a drive-by shooting in north London on Tuesday evening was not the intended target, police have said.
  4. (by extension) A heated confrontation between opposing factions.

Translations

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