Obs. Also 5 croos, (cros), 5–6 crosse. [a. OF. croce (pronounced krotsə), in Roland 11th c.; from 14th c. onward crosse; corresponding to Pr. crossa, OSp. croza, It. croccia:—late L. type *croccia, croccea, a derivative of late L. *croccus, It. crocco, in F. croc crook, hook. (See CROC.) Cf. the various med.L. forms for ‘pastoral crook’ or ‘episcopal staff’ in Du Cange, croca, croqua, crocea, crocia, croccia, crochia, crossa, crossea. In English there was a doublet form CROCHE from Norman French. These words are quite distinct from L. crux CROSS, and its derivatives, with which they have never been confused in any Romanic language: thus OF. croce and crois (cruiz), mod.F. crosse and croix, Pr. crossa and crotz, OSp. croza and cruz, It. cròccia and cróce, med.L. croccia and crux. In ME. also, croce was quite distinct from crois, croys, croyce; but after the Norse form of the latter word, cros, CROSS, prevailed, there was a tendency for croce and cross to run together as crosse, which resulted in the obsolescence of croce. (See copious examples by Rev. J. T. Fowler in Archæologia, LII.)]
1. The pastoral staff or crook of a bishop or abbot; a crosier.
c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron. Wace (Rolls), 8921. He gaf … Croces [v.r. kroces] riche to clerkes of pris … York he gaf to seint Saunson.
1377. Langl., P. Pl., B. VIII. 94. A bisschopes crosse [C. XI. 92 croce], Is hoked in þat one ende to halie men fro helle. A pyke is on þat potente to pulte adown þe wikked.
1387. Trevisa, Higden (Rolls), VII. 473. Croces.
c. 1430. Pilgr. Lyf Manhode, III. vi. (1869), 139. Of a bishoppes croos [v.r. croce] he made his howwe and his pikoyse. Pikoise was the sharpe ende, and howwe was the krookede end.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 103. Croce of a byschope, pedum, cambuca, crocea.
1460. Capgrave, Chron., 134. Cam prelatis, with here crosses and croses.
1528. Tindale, Obed. Chr. Man, 87 b. Is not that shephardes hoke the Bisshopes crose a false signe.
1617. Minsheu, Ductor, Croce, is a Shepheards Crooke in our old English tongue. Hence the staffe of a Bishop … is called the Crocer, Crocier, or Crosier.
β. In 16th c., confounded in form with cross.
1528. Roy, Rede me (Arb.), 31. Which with myters, crosses, and copes, Apere lyke gaye bisshops and popes. Ibid., 56. Before hym [Wolsey] rydeth two prestes stronge And they beare two crosses right longe [i.e., a crose as bishop and a cross as archbishop].
1530. Palsgr., 211/1. Crosse, croix. Crosse for a bysshoppe, crosse.
1552. Wriothesley, Chron., Allhallows Day, The prebendaries of Pawles left of their hoodes, and the Bishops their crosses.
2. A staff; = CROCHE 2.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Wife’s Prol., 484. By seint Joce [v.r. Iose] I made hym of the same wode a croce [so 4 MSS., 3 crose].
c. 1400. Voc., in Wr.-Wülcker, 603/41. Podium, a croos.
3. Comb. Crose-staff, = sense 1: cf. crosier-staff, CROSIER 2 b.
1549. Chron. Gr. Friars (Camden), 60. The byshoppe of Cauntorbery … dyd the offes hym selfe in a cope and no vestment, nor mytter, nor crosse, but a crose staffe. Ibid. (1553), 84. Many byshoppes with their myteres on their heddes and crose-stavys in their honddes.
1566. in Peacock, Eng. Ch. Furniture (1866), 71. Banner pooles and crose staves—made awaie the same tyme.
