crosshairs
crosshairs Lexical Profile
crosshairs Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A position or state of being the focus of intense scrutiny, criticism, or targeted action (usually used in the phrase 'in the crosshairs').
"Following the unexpected audit, the company's financial practices found themselves in the crosshairs of federal regulators."
A pair of fine intersecting lines or wires in the focal plane of an optical instrument, such as a telescope, microscope, or surveying level, used for precise alignment or measurement.
"The astronomer adjusted the telescope until the distant star was centered directly in the crosshairs."
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Coined in the late 18th century as a compound of 'cross' and 'hairs', referring to the actual strands of animal hair or spider silk originally stretched across the focal plane of early optical instruments to aid in precise alignment.