▪ I. croze, n. Coopering.
(krəʊz)
In 7 croes, crowes.
[perh. derived from F. creux, OF. croz, hollow, cavity, groove, excavation, creuser, OF. croser, to hollow out, excavate.
Quot. 1706 (repeated in a number of 18th c. Dicts.) appears to be due to a combination of blunders; crome is prob. a misprint for crowe; and croe, crowe, fictitious singulars due to mistaking Cotgrave's croes, crowes, for plurals.]
1. The groove at the ends of the staves of a cask, barrel, etc., to receive the edge of the head.
| 1611 Cotgr., Enjabler, to rigoll a peece of caske; or, to make the Crowes; also, to make the head fit for the Crowes. Ibid., Jables, the croes of a peece of caske; the furrow, or hollow (at either end of the pipe-staues) whereinto the head⁓peeces be enchased. [1706 Phillips (ed. Kersey), Croe or Crome..an Iron-bar or Leaver..also a notch in the Side⁓boards of a Cask or Tub, where the Head-pieces come in.] 1852 Board of Fisheries Notice (May 15), The present cran..The Staves not to be under two Inches, nor to exceed four Inches in breadth, and no croze to be allowed. 1880 Libr. Univ. Knowl., Barrel-making machinery, A croze, or groove, to receive the head. |
2. A cooper's tool for making the groove in cask staves, etc.
| a 1846 Worcester cites Newton. 1846–50 tr. Holzapffel's Turning II. 488 The cooper's croze is used for making the grooves for the heading of casks. 1888 Addy Sheffield Gloss., Croze-stock, the wooden handle into which a croze is fitted. |
▪ II. croze, v.1 Coopering.
[f. prec. or its F. source.]
trans. To make the croze in (cask staves, etc.).
| 1849 Rep. U.S. Comm. Patents (1850) 386, I also claim the apparatus for chamfering and howelling and crozing. |
Hence ˈcrozing vbl. n.; also attrib.
| 1880 Times 9 Oct. 10/3 The chining, crozing, and howelling machine. 1883 Fisheries Exhib. Catal. 83 Machine for chiming, crozing and howelling casks. |
▪ III. croze, v.2 Hat-making.
In felting hats, to refold (a hat-body) so as to present a different surface to the action of the felting-machine.