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. 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.
Croise, sb.: see CROISES.
