cross-examine
UK[ˌkrɒs ɪɡˈzæmɪn]US[ˌkrɔːs ɪɡˈzæmɪn]
v
to question a witness called by the other side in a court of law to check or discredit their testimony.
v
to question someone closely or aggressively in order to verify statements or elicit new information.
Morpheme Breakdown
cross
examine
cross
across, opposing
examine
to question
Etymology
the term 'cross-examine' is a compound verb formed in english from the adverb/preposition 'cross' and the verb 'examine'. the element 'cross' evolved from the latin 'crux', which referred literally to a wooden stake or cross. by the late middle english period, it had developed figurative senses of 'going across' or 'being contrary'. 'examine' derives from the latin 'examinare', meaning to weigh or test, itself from 'examen', the tongue of a balance. the legal practice of cross-examination, where one party questions the opposing side's witness, emerged in the english common law system. the term perfectly captures the adversarial 'crossing' or opposing action of this form of questioning, which is designed to test and scrutinize the evidence presented.
Analysis
Structure: cross (across, opposing) + examine (to question)
cross (from old english 'cros', via old norse 'kross', ultimately from latin 'crux, crucis' meaning a stake, cross; used here in a figurative sense meaning 'across' or 'in opposition to'). examine (from latin 'examinare', meaning to weigh, test, or scrutinize, from 'examen' meaning a balance, test).
Examples
the defense attorney will cross-examine the prosecution's key witness tomorrow.
during the debate, she was effectively cross-examined on the details of her policy proposal.
the journalist cross-examined the official, demanding clear answers about the budget discrepancy.