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EN KO VI NE KM ID

across

əˈkrɒs

It isn't across until it reaches the other side

The picture A line cutting from one side of a wide surface to the far edge. Across cuts straight over the line; along runs beside it.

Particles

Where the picture shows up in across

  1. the far side of the street

    The pharmacy is across the street.

    ðə ˈfɑːrməsi ɪz əˈkrɔːs ðə striːt

    The pharmacy is on the other side of the street.

    One wide band of road lies between you and the pharmacy on the far pavement

  2. cutting over the bridge

    We walked across the bridge.

    wiː wɔːkt əˈkrɔːs ðə brɪdʒ

    We walked over the bridge.

    Feet cross the bridge from this bank of the river to the other

  3. the message reaches the other side

    I couldn't get my point across.

    aɪ ˈkʊdənt ɡet maɪ pɔɪnt əˈkrɔːs

    I couldn't make myself understood.

    The words leave my mouth but drop halfway instead of landing in the other head

    Your words only count once they land on the other side.

  4. crossing paths by chance

    I came across an old photo.

    aɪ keɪm əˈkrɔːs ən oʊld ˈfoʊtoʊ

    I stumbled on an old photo.

    A hand sweeping across the drawer runs straight into an old photo

  5. spread over the whole surface

    The shop has branches across the country.

    ðə ʃɑːp hæz ˈbræntʃɪz əˈkrɔːs ðə ˈkʌntri

    The shop has branches nationwide.

    Branch pins are scattered over the whole map, edge to edge

All of it in one picture

Across is one line cutting a wide surface from this side to the far edge. Cut the road and the pharmacy is across the street; cut the river and you walk across the bridge; land your words in the other head and your point gets across; cut the drawer and you come across a photo; cut the whole map and the branches are across the country. Landing on the far side is what counts — fall halfway and you have not crossed. That is the feeling under every across.

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