Meaning & use
silver cross
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Meanings
nouncountable
a cross made of silver, worn as jewelry or used as a religious object.
Grammar: Countable: say a silver cross or two silver crosses.
Patterns
- wear a silver cross
- a silver cross on a chain
She wore a small silver cross on a thin chain around her neck.
The old church keeps a silver cross on the altar.
He was given a silver cross as a gift when he finished his studies.
nouncountable
a decoration or medal in the shape of a cross, made of silver, given for bravery or service.
Grammar: Often used with a capital letter in official names of awards.
Patterns
- be awarded a silver cross
- receive a silver cross for bravery
The soldier was awarded a silver cross for his actions during the rescue.
Several members of the unit received a silver cross at the ceremony.
Word forms
| plural | silver crosses |
|---|
Common combinations
- wear a silver cross
- Many people in the village wear a silver cross every day.
- a silver cross on a chain
- She keeps her grandmother's silver cross on a chain in a box.
- a plain silver cross
- He prefers a plain silver cross without any stones.
- a silver cross pendant
- The shop sells a silver cross pendant for about forty dollars.
- be awarded a silver cross
- Two firefighters were awarded a silver cross for their courage.
Synonyms and how they differ
Word family
Commonly confused: silver cross or silver medal?
silver cross vs silver medal
A silver medal is an award in sports, usually for second place; a silver cross is a cross-shaped object or decoration.
Practice
Which sentence uses "silver cross" correctly?
Choose one answer.
"Silver cross" is a noun phrase for a cross made of silver, so it fits after "a". "Across" is a preposition meaning from one side to the other, "crossly" is an adverb meaning angrily, and "crossing" is a different noun, so none of them fits here.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “silver cross”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.