cite vs cross-refer

cite is a noun but cross-refer is not a noun.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
cite	Yes	No	Yes	No
cross-refer	No	No	Yes	No

As verbs, cross-refer is a hyponym of cite; that is, cross-refer is a word with a more specific, narrower meaning than cite:

cite: make reference to
cross-refer: refer from one entry to another, as in catalogues, books, and lists

cite (noun)	cross-refer (noun)
a short note recognizing a source of information or of a quoted passage

cite (verb)	cross-refer (verb)
make reference to	refer from one entry to another, as in catalogues, books, and lists
commend
repeat a passage from
refer to for illustration or proof
advance evidence for
call in an official matter, such as to attend court
refer to