English

Noun

crossplay ‎(uncountable)

1. (engineering) The ability to record data with one device and play back the data on a different, compatible device.
   • 1993, Airborne Reconnaissance, volume 16, Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers, ISBN 9780819409362, page 52:

     The problem with the crossplay of plastic-based (Mylar) tape is that it's pliable; any difference in temperature or mechanical stress, induced by various transports, will distort track patterns recorded on the compliant tape.

2. (linguistics) Subordinate communication between participants in a conversation.
   • 2008, Yumiko Tateytama, Gabrielle Kasper, “Talking with a Classroom Guest”, in Eva Alcon Soler, Alicia Martinez-Flor, editor, Investigating Pragmatics in Foreign Language Learning, Teaching and Testing, Multilingual Matters, ISBN 9781847699626, page 63:

     Although in all three events the requests were performed in front of and for the benefit of the student audience as intended bystanders, the crossplay observed in the guest-student episode was absent from the guest-teacher interactions.

Related terms

• (communication): byplay, sideplay

Etymology 2

Crossplay at the 2012 San Diego Comic-Con.

Blend of cross-dressing +‎ cosplay

Noun

crossplay ‎(uncountable)

1. A form of cosplay in which one dresses up as a character of the opposite sex.
   • 2001 May 22, Wednesday, “Re: 'There are only 500 REAL anime fans in the UK'”, in uk.media.animation.anime, Usenet, message-ID <-6y*A5OWo@news.chiark.greenend.org.uk>:

     Incidentally, I'm not sure you're bucking the trend so much as going along with it; FTM crossplay is getting pretty popular, although you see more women going for bishounen and visual-kei genderfucky stars than anything else.

   • 2006, Winge, Theresa, “Costuming the Imagination”, in Frenchy Lunning, editor, Emerging Worlds of Anime and Manga, volume 1, University of Minnesota Press, ISBN 9780816649457, page 71:

     Crossplay is where a cosplayer employs gender reversal (i.e., a female who dresses as a male character or vice versa).

   • 2014, Thomas, Catherine, “'Love to Mess with Minds': En(gendering) Identities Through Crossplay”, in Ben Bolling & Matthew J. Smith, editor, It Happens at Comic-Con: Ethnographic Essays on a Pop Culture Phenomenon, McFarland, ISBN 9781476614472, page 37:

     At CCI, where a large number of people cosplay, crossplay becomes a mode to "stand out."

Derived terms

• crossplayer