crossroads

crossroads

1. plural of crossroad
2. A place where one road crosses another; an intersection of two or more roads.
   • 2010, M. K. Hobson, The Native Star:

     When they came to a crossroads where the road split off into four cardinal directions, Stanton stood squinting up at the signpost for a long time.

3. (by extension) A centrally located position
   • 2005, Jake Logan, Slocum and the Sierra Madras Gold:

     The shiny wet black triangle at the crossroads of where her legs split.

   • 2018, Rail, issue 857, July 18-July 31, article on Severn Bridge Junction signal box at Shrewsbury:

     Together they control the approaches to this important railway crossroads from Chester, Crewe, Wolverhampton, Hereford and Machynlleth, and the station itself via an unusual mix of semaphore and colour light signals.

4. (by analogy) A decision point; a turning point or opportunity to change direction, course, or goal.
5. (nonstandard) A fork in the road.
   • 2005, Phil Nordyke, All American, all the way: the combat history of the 82nd Airborne, page 723:

     The Company A commander, Captain Helmer, was at the crossroads where the road split, with the left fork leading to Udenbreth, when he saw a group of men coming toward him.

   • 2010, Raeanne Thayne, A Cold Creek Baby, page 199:

     When she reached the crossroads where the trail split, one part of her yearned to head toward the lake.

   • 1955, Therese Pol, The judge and his hangman, translation of original by Friedrich Dürrenmatt, page 48:

     But first he stopped his car at the crossroads where the highway forked off to Gastmann's house.