x

/eks/, v.t., x-ed or x'd /ekst/, x-ing or x'ing /ek"sing/.

1. to cross out or mark with or as if with an x (often fol. by out): to x out an error.

2. to indicate choice, as on a ballot or examination (often fol. by in): to x in the candidate of your choice.

[1840-50]

1. ex¹ (def. 1).

2. excess.

3. Stock Exchange.

a. (of stock trading) ex dividend.

b. (of bond trading) See ex interest.

4. experimental.

5. extra.

Symbol.

1. an unknown quantity or a variable.

2. (used at the end of letters, telegrams, etc., to indicate a kiss.)

3. (used to indicate multiplication) times: 8 × 8=64.

4. (used between figures indicating dimensions) by: 3" × 4" (read: "three by four inches"); 3" × 4" × 5" (read: "three by four by five inches").

5. power of magnification: a 50x telescope.

6. (used as a signature by an illiterate person.)

7. cross.

8. crossed with.

9. (used to indicate a particular place or point on a map or diagram.)

10. out of; foaled by: a colt by Flag-a-way x Merrylegs.

11. (used to indicate choice, as on a ballot, examination, etc.)

12. (used to indicate an error or incorrect answer, as on a test.)

13. Math. (in Cartesian coordinates) the x-axis.

14. Chess. captures.

15. a person, thing, agency, factor, etc., of unknown identity.

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▪ American rock band

 American band whose tales of urban decay, corruption, and sleaze, delivered with skilled musicianship and unique vocal harmonies, marked them as important contributors to the punk movement. The original members were Exene Cervenka (original name Christine Cervenka; b. Feb. 1, 1956, Chicago, Ill., U.S.), John Doe (b. Feb. 25, 1953, Decatur, Ill.), Billy Zoom (original name Ty Kindell; b. Feb. 20, 1948, Illinois), and D.J. Bonebrake (b. Dec. 8, 1955, North Hollywood, Calif.). Later members included Dave Alvin (b. Nov. 11, 1955, Los Angeles, Calif.) and Tony Gilkyson.

      Formed in 1977, X released Los Angeles in 1980. That effort and the follow-up albums Wild Gift (1981) and Under the Big Black Sun (1982) drew critical raves, as X broadened punk's do-it-yourself ethos with excellent musicianship (guitarist Zoom, who had once played with rock-and-roll (rock and roll) pioneer Gene Vincent (Vincent, Gene), blazed through country (country music), rockabilly, heavy metal, and punk licks with dispassionate aplomb, while drummer Bonebrake added a background in jazz), the unusual harmonies and sophisticated songwriting of onetime husband and wife Doe and Cervenka (the latter an active poet), and careful production by Ray Manzarek, formerly of the Doors (Doors, the). In the process, X became prime movers of the Los Angeles punk scene chronicled in the documentary The Decline of Western Civilization (1981). Capable of matching the fury of other punk bands, X also excelled at melancholy ballads (pop ballad) and flirted with pop music throughout its career, though its efforts to reach a broader audience on a major label were largely unsuccessful.

      The band toured and recorded sporadically throughout the 1980s and '90s, but members were increasingly occupied by side projects and solo efforts. Doe, Cervenka, Alvin, and Bonebrake formed the Knitters in 1985. Intended as a one-time project, the Knitters performed a selection of folk and country tunes, along with acoustic versions of songs from the X catalog. Cervenka dedicated much of her time to poetry, publishing numerous collections and recording a series of solo albums. Doe turned to Hollywood, scoring small parts in films such as Road House (1989) and Boogie Nights (1997) and landing a recurring role in the supernatural television series Roswell (1999–2002). Alvin earned a Grammy Award for his traditional folk album Public Domain: Songs from the Wild Land (2000). The original X lineup reunited for a pair of concerts in 2004 (later collected in the album Live in Los Angeles [2005]), and the Knitters re-formed to record The Modern Sounds of the Knitters (2005).

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