What does crux mean?
Word: Crux
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Crux means the most important or central point of a problem, argument or question.
Synonyms: heart, core, essence
Word origin: Comes from the Latin word crux, meaning cross.
How do you spell crux?
Syllables: crux
Tricky part: The ks sound at the end is spelt with a single x. Students write crucks or cruks.
Watch out for: crucks, cruks, crukx
Memory tip: X marks the spot: the x at the end of crux marks the most important point.
Idioms and Phrases
- the crux of the matter: The most important part of a problem or discussion. Example: "The crux of the matter is that the bridge is too old to repair."
Crux in a sentence
Example 1: The crux of the story is a lost letter.
Example 2: Our teacher said the crux of the lesson was learning how plants make food.
Example 3: The crux of the debate was whether the park should stay open at night.
Fun Fact
Crux is also the Latin name of the Southern Cross, the smallest of the 88 constellations, which appears on the flags of Australia and New Zealand.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Champ
Choose the correct word for the blank:
The most important or central part of a problem or argument is called its ________.
a) crumb
b) crest
c) crux
d) crust
Show answer
c) crux. A crust is an outer layer and a crest is a top, but the central point of an argument is its crux.
Sound Check
Which of the following words does not rhyme with crux?
crux
a) ducks
b) tucks
c) books
d) plucks
Show answer
c) books. Books has the oo of good, while crux, ducks, tucks and plucks share the short u of cup.
Word Tally
Give 2 marks for each correctly spelt word. How many marks will the list get?
crux, debate, arguement, opinion, conclusion
a) 6
b) 4
c) 10
d) 8
Show answer
d) 8. Argument drops the e of argue, so arguement is wrong; the other four score 2 marks each.
Spellacadabra
Choose the correct option to make a meaningful word:
cr_x
a) a
b) e
c) u
d) o
Show answer
c) u. The vowel in crux is the short u of cup.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. If a teacher asks you to get to the crux, what should you do?
a) add as many details as you can
b) skip the small details and say what matters
c) start the story again from the beginning
d) speak more slowly and more softly
Show answer
b) skip the small details and say what matters
2. In a debate about school timings, which of these is most likely the crux?
a) the names of the speakers
b) the colour of the hall
c) whether the day should start later
d) the length of each speech
Show answer
c) whether the day should start later
