1
: difficult to deal with
her husband's self-absorbed and cross-grained natureLance Morrow
2
: having the grain or fibers running diagonally, transversely, or irregularly

Word History

First Known Use

1647, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of cross-grained was in 1647

Dictionary Entries Near cross-grained

Cite this Entry

“Cross-grained.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cross-grained. Accessed 2 Dec. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on cross-grained

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!