Added 9 October 2026
decussate
/dɪˈkʌseɪt/ verb
Latin root: decussātus First recorded: 1825 Wiktionary
verb Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about decussate at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
adjective
- Crossed or intersected in the form of an X.
Origin
The adjective is first attested in 1825, the verb in 1658. Borrowed from Latin decussātus, perfect passive participle of decussō (“to divide crosswise, arrange crosswise or mark with a cross”) (see -ate (adjective-forming suffix) and -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from decussis (“a coin worth ten asses; a cross sign (from the cross shape of the Roman numeral for ten carved on the coins)”), from decem (“ten”) + as (“a Roman coin”).
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)