▪ I. † croise, v. Obs.
Forms: 3 creoise, -oyse, -oice, -oyce, creyse, croice, 4 croyss, croyce, 4–7 croise, 5 croyse, (6 croisy).
[a. OF. cruisier, croisier:—L. cruciāre, f. cruc-em cross.]
1. trans. To mark with the sign of the cross; to make the sign of the cross upon or over.
| a 1225 Ancr. R. 64 Creoiseð..our muð, earen & eien, & te breoste eke. c 1290 S. Eng. Leg. I. 433/72 Creoyce þare⁓with þi fore-heued. Ibid. 433/78 To creoici þriȝes is fore-heued: and is breoste. c 1380 Sir Ferumb. 4913 Þan þankeþ he god eft of ys sond, & croycede ys fysage with ys hond. c 1470 Henry Wallace viii. 1195 Than Wallace thocht it was no tyme to ly; He croyssit him, syne sodeynli wp rais. |
2. To mark with a cross by way of giving sanctity to a vow; refl. and pass. to take or receive the mark of the cross in solemnization of a vow; esp. to take the cross to fight against the Saracens, or other foes of Christianity, real or reputed.
| 1297 R. Glouc. (Rolls) 8068 Pope..Urban..prechede of þe croyserie, and croysede moni mon. Ibid. 9882 & naþeles hii croicede hom þuder vor to wende. Ibid. 10586 Manie in hor bare fless hom late croici vaste, To libbe uor him and deie, Lowis out to caste. c 1325 Coer de L. 1693 Kyng Rychard is a pylgryme, Croyssyd to the Holy Lande. c 1330 R. Brunne Chron. (1810) 226 Lowys..Himself þe first was croised on his flessh. 1480 Caxton Chron. Eng. clxxiii. 156 He had thought for to haue gone in to holy land..for encheson that he was croysed long tyme before. 1563–87 Foxe A. & M. (1684) I. 508/2 Unto this Bishop of Norwich the Pope had sent his Bulls..to Croisy whomsoever would go with him into France, to destroy the Antipope. 1586 J. Hooker Girald. Irel. in Holinshed II. 50/2 Manie..were croised to the seruice of Christ. 1639 Fuller Holy War iv. xi. (1840) 196 And thereupon was croised, and..bound himself..to sail to the Holy Land. |
3. To crucify.
| a 1300 Cursor M. 19445 (Cott.) He sagh him [Christ] croised. a 1400 Leg. Rood (1871) 133 Feet and fayre hondes þat nou ben croised. c 1450 Mirour Saluacioun 4339 Barthelmewe slayne alle qwhikke and petere postle croisid. |
Hence † croised ppl. a., furnished or marked with a cross; having taken the cross.
| 1586 J. Ferne Blaz. Gentrie 215 A croysed staffe and allowed to them as a crosse. 1639 Fuller Holy War iii. xxii. (1840) 158 Three hundred thousand of these croised pilgrims lost their lives in this expedition. |
▪ II. croise, n.
see croises.