Crisscrosses

Crisscrosses refers to patterns or arrangements in which lines or paths intersect repeatedly, forming an interwoven, lattice-like design. As a verb, to crisscross means to move or lay out in a zigzag or back-and-forth crossing, or to cause elements to cross each other.

The term combines criss and cross, conveying the idea of crossing lines in a regular or irregular pattern. It is widely used across design, geography, biology, and mathematics to describe intersecting networks or motifs.

In textiles and decorative arts, crisscross patterns appear in fabrics, netting, lacing, quilts, and embroidery, often used to create structural strength or visual texture. In urban planning and transportation, crisscrossing street grids or diagonal routes produce networks where paths intersect at various angles. In biology, venation or branching patterns on leaves, wings, or other structures may be described as crisscross when veins intersect in a mesh-like arrangement. In mathematics and computer graphics, crisscross lattices teach or illustrate grids with crossing diagonals, highlighting intersecting coordinates.

Crisscross patterns also appear in everyday language to describe movements or routes that cross each other, such as crisscrossing paths during a journey or crisscrossing threads in sewing. Related concepts include lattice, crosshatch, and grid patterns.