Crossways means positioned or moving across something else, forming a cross or perpendicular angle. If you place a pencil crossways on your desk, it lies across the width rather than along the length. When logs are stacked crossways, each layer runs perpendicular to the one below it, creating a stable crisscross pattern like you might see in a campfire or log cabin construction.

The word often describes something that's blocking or intersecting a path. A fallen tree lying crossways across a trail blocks hikers from passing easily. If someone parks crossways in a parking lot, their car sits sideways across multiple spaces instead of fitting properly in one.

You might also hear the similar word crosswise, which means essentially the same thing. Both words suggest something positioned at a cross angle rather than running parallel or straight. When you cut a sandwich crossways, you slice across its width instead of lengthwise. The key idea is a perpendicular intersection: one thing crossing over or through another at an angle.