X

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See also: Appendix:Variations of "x"

X U+0058, X
LATIN CAPITAL LETTER X
← W
[U+0057] 		Basic Latin Y →
[U+0059]

Ⅹ U+2169, Ⅹ
ROMAN NUMERAL TEN
← Ⅸ
[U+2168] 		Number Forms Ⅺ →
[U+216A]
Ｘ U+FF38, Ｘ
FULLWIDTH LATIN CAPITAL LETTER X
← Ｗ
[U+FF37] 		Halfwidth and Fullwidth Forms Ｙ →
[U+FF39]

Translingual[edit]

English Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia

Alternative forms[edit]

  • x (numeral)
  • X. (numeral, ordinal)

Etymology 1[edit]

From the Etruscan letter 𐌗 (x, “ex”), from the Ancient Greek letter Χ (Kh, “chi”), created ex nihilo.

Letter[edit]

X (lower case x)

  1. The twenty-fourth letter of the basic modern Latin alphabet.
See also[edit]

Numeral[edit]

Roman numeral
X Previous: IX
Next: XI

X

  1. Roman numeral ten (10)
  2. (especially in the names of aristocracy) the tenth.
Alternative forms[edit]

Symbol[edit]

X

  1. (bowling) strike
    Coordinate term: / (spare)
  2. (sports) fail
    Coordinate terms: O (success), - (skip)
  3. One of the tristimulus values which, with Y and Z, defines coordinates in a three-dimensional color space. Pronounced (in English) big X or cap X.
    • 2003, Charles A. Poynton, Digital Video and HDTV: Algorithms and Interfaces, →ISBN, page 217:
      X, Y and Z are pronounced big-X, big-Y, and big-Z, or cap-X, cap-Y, and cap-Z, to distinguish them from little x and little y, to be described in a moment.
  4. A placeholder for any letter or word.
  5. (linguistics) A wildcard for any sound (consonant, vowel or tone).
  6. (international standards) Substituted for the third letter of a currency code to denote the minor unit of that currency.

Etymology 2[edit]

Possibly from skull and crossbones.

Symbol[edit]

X

  1. A hazard indicator, sometimes incorporated into standard labelling and signage systems
Derived terms[edit]

Gallery[edit]

  • Letter styles
  • Uppercase and lowercase versions of X, in normal and italic type

    Uppercase and lowercase versions of X, in normal and italic type

  • Uppercase and lowercase X in Fraktur

    Uppercase and lowercase X in Fraktur

See also[edit]

Other representations of X:

English[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

  • (letter name) IPA(key): /ɛks/
  • (phonetic realization) IPA(key): [ks], [ɡz], (word-initially) [z]
  • Audio (US)(file)
  • Rhymes: -ɛks
  • Homophone: Exe

Etymology 1[edit]

Introduced by René Descartes in the context of mathematical notation, but has since widened to other contexts.

Numeral[edit]

X

  2. An unknown quantity or unknown value.
    Let x represent the forecast traffic flow in 20 years’ time.
    the X factor
    Planet X
Derived terms[edit]
Translations[edit]

Proper noun[edit]

X

  1. A placeholder for an unknown, suppressed or hypothetical name.
    The woman known until now as Witness X has been unmasked after a court ruling.
    Suppose that Mr and Mrs X have been married for many years.
  2. (anthroponymy, politics) A surname, used by those who have had their identity or heritage, including their proper ancestral names, erased or forgotten.
    Malcolm X

Etymology 2[edit]

Letter[edit]

X (upper case, lower case x, plural Xs or X's)

  1. The twenty-fourth letter of the English alphabet, called ex and written in the Latin script.
See also[edit]

Noun[edit]

X

  2. Any mark that looks like that letter, such as a mark made by a person who cannot read or write in lieu of a signature.
  3. (lacrosse) The spot behind the goal.
Derived terms[edit]
  • (signature mark) xoxo
Translations[edit]
cross#noun — see cross

Adjective[edit]

X (not comparable)

  1. Intersex or non-binary (in passports and identification documents).
    Coordinate terms: M, F

Etymology 3[edit]

Presumably by abbreviation of the pronunciation of ecstasy.

Noun[edit]

X (uncountable)

  1. (slang) Ecstasy, a particular street drug.
    • 2008, Stephen King, Graduation Weekend:
      Tonight the kids will go out and party down in a more righteous mode. Alcohol and not a few tabs of X will be ingested. Club music will throb through big speakers.
Translations[edit]

Etymology 4[edit]

Adjective[edit]

X (not comparable)

  1. (Britain film certificate, dated) Suitable only for those aged 16 or (later) 18 years and over.
  2. (movie rating) Obscene.
    • 1976, Movie Maker, volume 10, number 1-6, page 364:
      If you go to an X movie you do so knowingly, as does everyone else in the audience. Or if the same thing comes up on TV you can switch over, or, if you wish, enjoy it in relative privacy.
Derived terms[edit]
Translations[edit]
The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Etymology 5[edit]

From Christ by abbreviation, orthographic borrowing from Ancient Greek Χ (Kh, letter chi), from Χριστός (Khristós, “Christ”).

Proper noun[edit]

X

  1. (informal) Christ
Related terms[edit]
Translations[edit]

Etymology 6[edit]

Sign reading “Pedestrian X” (Pedestrian Crossing)

From cross, due to the X symbol being a cross saltire.

Noun[edit]

X (plural Xes)

  1. (Canada, US) Cross, crossing.
Derived terms[edit]
Translations[edit]

Etymology 7[edit]

Adjective[edit]

X (comparative more X, superlative most X)

  1. (informal) Abbreviation of extreme.
Derived terms[edit]

Afar[edit]

Letter[edit]

X

  1. The eighth letter of the Afar alphabet, written in the Latin script.

See also[edit]

Afrikaans[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

  • (letter name): IPA(key): /ɛks/

Letter[edit]

X (upper case, lower case x)

  1. The twenty-fourth letter of the Afrikaans alphabet, written in the Latin script.

See also[edit]

Noun[edit]

X (plural X'e, diminutive X'ie)

  1. X

Albanian[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

IPA(key): /d͡z(ə)/

Letter[edit]

X (upper case X, lower case x)

  1. The thirty-second letter of the Albanian alphabet, written in the Latin script.

See also[edit]

Azerbaijani[edit]

Letter[edit]

X upper case (lower case x)

  1. The twelfth letter of the Azerbaijani alphabet, written in the Latin script.

See also[edit]

Basque[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

Letter[edit]

X (upper case, lower case x)

  1. The twenty-fifth letter of the Basque alphabet, called ixa and written in the Latin script.

See also[edit]

Central Franconian[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

  • /ks/

Letter[edit]

X

  1. A letter in the German-based alphabet of Central Franconian.
  2. A letter in the Dutch-based alphabet of Central Franconian.

Usage notes[edit]

  • In the German-based spelling, x is the default spelling for /ks/, but not the most frequent spelling. Following the German cognate or otherwise when there is an intervening morpheme boundary, the spellings chs, cks, ks (possibly also ggs) may be used instead.
  • In the Dutch-based spelling, /ks/ is usually represented by ks. The letter x occurs only rarely in loanwords.
  • X is never doubled and preceding vowels are short unless they are themselves doubled (as in English).

Chinese[edit]

Pronunciation 1[edit]

Note: 1e khe sr - often pronounced as 1eq khe sr.

Letter[edit]

X

  1. The twenty-fourth letter of the Latin alphabet.

Pronunciation 2[edit]

Letter[edit]

X

  1. The second letter used in Pinyin.

Dutch[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

Letter[edit]

X (capital, lowercase x)

  1. The twenty-fourth letter of the Dutch alphabet, written in the Latin script.

See also[edit]

  • Previous letter: W
  • Next letter: Y

Esperanto[edit]

Letter[edit]

X (upper case, lower case x)

  1. (replacement) The letter that represents a diacritic in the x-system, written after the letter in its non-diacriticed form; it is called ikso.
    ambaŭ → ambaux

Finnish[edit]

Letter[edit]

X (upper case, lower case x)

  1. The twenty-third letter of the Finnish alphabet, called äks or eks and written in the Latin script.

Usage notes[edit]

  • Used only in loanwords. In more established loanwords, it is replaced with ks.

See also[edit]

French[edit]

French Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia fr

Pronunciation[edit]

Noun[edit]

X m or f (plural X)

  1. The twenty-fourth letter of the French alphabet, called ixe and written in the Latin script.
  2. X-frame stool
    • 1862, Victor Hugo, Les Misérables, I.3.i:
      La duchesse de Duras lisait à trois ou quatre amis, dans son boudoir meublé d’X en satin bleu ciel [...].
      The Duchess de Duras was reading to two or three friends, in a boudoir furnished with X-frame stools in sky-blue satin.

Adjective[edit]

X (invariable)

  1. X-rated

Derived terms[edit]

German[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

Letter[edit]

X (upper case, lower case x)

  1. The twenty-fourth letter of the German alphabet, written in the Latin script.

Hungarian[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

  • (letter name) IPA(key): [ˈiks]
  • (phonetic realization) IPA(key): [ˈks]

Letter[edit]

X (upper case, lower case x)

  1. A letter of the extended Hungarian alphabet, called iksz and written in the Latin script.

Declension[edit]

Inflection (stem in -e-, front unrounded harmony)
singular plural
nominative X X-ek
accusative X-et X-eket
dative X-nek X-eknek
instrumental X-szel X-ekkel
causal-final X-ért X-ekért
translative X-szé X-ekké
terminative X-ig X-ekig
essive-formal X-ként X-ekként
essive-modal — —
inessive X-ben X-ekben
superessive X-en X-eken
adessive X-nél X-eknél
illative X-be X-ekbe
sublative X-re X-ekre
allative X-hez X-ekhez
elative X-ből X-ekből
delative X-ről X-ekről
ablative X-től X-ektől
non-attributive
possessive - singular 		X-é X-eké
non-attributive
possessive - plural 		X-éi X-ekéi
Possessive forms of X
possessor single possession multiple possessions
1st person sing. X-em X-eim
2nd person sing. X-ed X-eid
3rd person sing. X-e X-ei
1st person plural X-ünk X-eink
2nd person plural X-etek X-eitek
3rd person plural X-ük X-eik

See also[edit]

Ido[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

Letter[edit]

X (lower case x)

  1. The twenty-fourth letter of the Ido alphabet, written in the Latin script.

See also[edit]

Italian[edit]

Italian Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia it

Pronunciation[edit]

  • (letter name) IPA(key): /ˈiks/
  • (phonemic realization) IPA(key): /ks/

Letter[edit]

X f or m (invariable, upper case, lower case x)

  1. the twenty-fourth letter of the Latin alphabet, called ics in Italian

Usage notes[edit]

  • The letter X is not considered part of the Italian alphabet. It is found mainly in loanwords, Latinisms, and Grecisms.

See also[edit]

Korean[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Japanese ×(ばつ).

Symbol[edit]

X

  1. false.

Antonyms[edit]

Derived terms[edit]

OX

Latin[edit]

Latin Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia la

Etymology[edit]

Borrowed from Ancient Greek Χ (Kh, “chi”), which represented /ks/ in the dialects of most of the Greek mainland and Euboea.

Pronunciation[edit]

The sound of X was like that of the Greek Ξ (X, “xi”), that is /ks/, although etymologically it represented not only cs (as in lūx, from luc-s, and dīxī, from dic-si), but also gs (as in lēx, from leg-s; rēxī, from reg-si); hs (as in trāxī, from trah-si; vexī, from veh-si); and chs (as in the word onyx, from onych-s, borrowed from the Greek). The hardening of a softer final (g, h, ch) before s into the с sound, which occurs in the last-mentioned cases, is found also in several roots ending in v and u: nix for niv-s, vīxī for viv-si, connixī for conniv-si, fluxī for fluv-si, from fluō (root fluv-; compare fluvius), struxī for stru-si.

Less frequently x has arisen from the combinations ps and ts: proximus for prop-simus (from prope), nīxus for nit-sus (from nītor), the latter being used along with the collateral form nīsus, as also connīvī with connixī, and mistus (from misceō) with mixtus.

An exchange of the sounds ss or s and x, took place in axis for assis and laxus for lassus. In the later language of the vulgar, the guttural sound in x disappeared, and s or ss was often written for it; as vis for vix, visit for vīxit, unsit for unxit, conflississet for conflixisset, in late inscriptions; hence regularly in Italian, and frequently in the other Romance tongues, the Latin x is represented by s or ss.

By a mere graphic variation, one of the constituent sounds of x is often expressed in inscriptions (but not the earliest) by an additional с or s; as SACXO or SAXSO for saxō; VCXOR or VXSOR for uxor; CONIVNCX or CONIVNXS for conjunx; even both sounds are sometimes thus expressed, VICXSIT for vīxit.

Letter[edit]

X (upper case, lower case x)

  1. The twenty-third letter of the Latin alphabet, written in the Latin script.

Numeral[edit]

X

  1. ten; decem.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  • “X” in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short [1907], A New Latin Dictionary.

Malay[edit]

Malay Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia ms

Pronunciation[edit]

Letter[edit]

X

  1. The twenty-fourth letter of the Malay alphabet, called eks and written in the Latin script.

See also[edit]

Norwegian[edit]

Letter[edit]

X (upper case X, lower case x)

  1. the 24th letter of the Norwegian alphabet

Usage notes[edit]

Mostly used in loan words and foreign names. Also used in old inscriptions and texts instead of ks.

Portuguese[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

(letter name)

 

(phonetic realization) IPA(key): [s], [z], [ʃ], [ks]

Letter[edit]

X (upper case, lower case x)

  1. The twenty-fourth letter of the Portuguese alphabet, called xis and written in the Latin script.

See also[edit]

Romani[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

Letter[edit]

X (upper case, lower case x)

  1. (International Standard) The eleventh letter of the Romani alphabet, written in the Latin script.
  2. (Pan-Vlax) The twelfth letter of the Romani alphabet, written in the Latin script.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  • Yūsuke Sumi (2018), “X, x”, in ニューエクスプレス　ロマ（ジプシー）語 [New Express Romani (Gypsy)] (in Japanese), Tokyo: Hakusuisha, →ISBN, page 13

Romanian[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

  • (phonetic realization) IPA(key): /ks/, /ɡz/

Letter[edit]

X (upper case, lower case x)

  1. The twenty-ninth letter of the Romanian alphabet, called ics and written in the Latin script.

See also[edit]

Saanich[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

  • (phonetic realization) IPA(key): /x̠/

Letter[edit]

X

  1. The thirty-fifth letter of the Saanich alphabet, written in the Latin script.

See also[edit]

Somali[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

  • (letter name) IPA(key): /ħɑ/
  • (phonetic realization) IPA(key): /ħ/

Letter[edit]

X upper case (lower case x)

  1. The fifth letter of the Somali alphabet, called xa and written in the Latin script.

Usage notes[edit]

  1. The fifth letter of the Somali alphabet, which follows Arabic abjad order. It is preceded by J and followed by KH.

See also[edit]

Spanish[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

Letter[edit]

X (upper case, lower case x)

  1. The twenty-fifth letter of the Spanish alphabet, written in the Latin script.

Derived terms[edit]

Vietnamese[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

  • (Hà Nội) IPA(key): [ʔit̚˧˦ si˨˩], [ʔit̚˧˦ si˨˩], [səː˨˩], [səː˨˩ ɲɛ˧˨ʔ]
  • (Huế) IPA(key): [ʔit̚˦˧˥ ʂɪj˦˩], [ʔit̚˦˧˥ sɪj˦˩], [səː˦˩], [səː˦˩ ɲɛ˨˩ʔ]
  • (Hồ Chí Minh City) IPA(key): [ʔɨt̚˦˥ ʂɪj˨˩], [ʔɨt̚˦˥ sɪj˨˩], [səː˨˩], [səː˨˩ ɲɛ˨˩˨] ~ [ʔɨt̚˦˥ sɪj˨˩], [ʔɨt̚˦˥ sɪj˨˩], [səː˨˩], [səː˨˩ ɲɛ˨˩˨]
  • Phonetic: ít sì, ít xì, xờ, xờ nhẹ

Letter[edit]

X (upper case, lower case x)

  1. The twenty-eighth letter of the Vietnamese alphabet, called ích, ích xì, xờ, or xờ nhẹ and written in the Latin script.

See also[edit]

Zulu[edit]

Letter[edit]

X (upper case, lower case x)

  1. The twenty-fourth letter of the Zulu alphabet, written in the Latin script.

See also[edit]

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