Cross Mark PNG
Cross Mark, or an X mark, is a symbol, which is most commonly used as an opposite to a check mark, when something is canceled, declined, or is false. However, this mark is much more than this. It is widely known as one of the main mathematical symbols, a heraldic element, and an important part of modern slang.
Meaning and history
The cross as a symbol has been known to mankind since ancient times and is among the top 3 most recognizable signs. There are a great number of crosses, but today we are talking about the oblique cross, which became the basis for such a frequently used element of writing as Cross Mark.
The oblique cross is also known as the St. Andrew’s Cross, named after the Apostle Andrew, who accepted death on it. St. Andrew chose the X-shaped cross for himself, as he believed he was not worthy to be executed as Jesus Christ.
This cross is also called a diagonal or humanitarian cross. For many, it is the shape of the cross symbolizes perfection, and in Roman culture, the oblique cross means the boundaries, the passage for which was strictly forbidden. In fact, it is this meaning that is often invested in the Cross Mark today – prohibition.
Use of a Cross Mark
The Cross Mark has quite a few meanings, and consequently, the situations in which it is used. First of all, it is the opposite symbol to the Check Mark, which means “true, checked, agree”. That is Cross Mark is put opposite to not true and not true sentences.
In the rules of the road and traffic signs, this is one of the most prominent prohibitive and negative messages, “No Stopping”. Again, the basic message here is exactly “Prohibition”.
This symbol is also widely used in computers – most often the cross occurs when the message “close” or “cancel”.
However, the Cross Mark is most often encountered in an educational context. It can be seen in tests as an indication of incorrect answers. Cross-Mark can also be used to select or cross out options from numerical lists.
Cross Mark in Math
Another application of the Cross Mark is math. And here the symbol has its own history. The fact that to denote the action of multiplication European mathematicians of the XVI century used the letter “M”, which was the initial in the Latin word for increase, multiplication – multiplication. However, in the XVII multiplication began to be denoted by an oblique cross. This symbol as a sign of multiplication was introduced by William Otred in 1631.
In fact, the Cross Mark was used as a multiplication sign much earlier, as far back as ancient India, where it originated because of the frequent use of cross multiplication.
Cross Mark in Slang
In modern culture, the symbol “X” stands for something unknown and mysterious. And in recent years, it has also become a symbol of innovation and technological progress. In this connotation, it is quite often found on the Internet.
However, the “X” also has a wide distribution in personal correspondence. It is this letter or Cross Mark that people replace “kiss” in written texts. By the way, this is far from a new tradition. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the first recorded use of the letter “X” to indicate a kiss was in a letter written in 1763.
