crusade
nounverbattested in dialogue
- United Kingdom//kɹuːˈseɪd//
- Canada//kɹuˈseɪd//
- Australia//kɹʉːˈsæɪd//
Any war instigated and blessed by the Church for alleged religious ends, (especially) papal-sanctioned military campaigns against infidels or heretics.
noun
- 1
historicalAny of the Papally-endorsed military expeditions undertaken by the Christians of Latin Europe in the 11th to 13th centuries to reconquer the Levant from the Muslims, as well as expeditions along the Baltic Sea and against the Cathars.
During the crusades, many Muslims and Christians and Jews were slaughtered.
Their way lay through the hall, where hung the helm of many a bold forefather, and arms that had seen service even in the crusades.
- 2
Any war instigated and blessed by the Church for alleged religious ends, (especially) papal-sanctioned military campaigns against infidels or heretics.
- 3
figurativeA grand, concerted effort towards some purportedly worthy cause.
a crusade against drug abuse
- 4
datedA mass gathering in a political campaign or during a religious revival effort.
The same period that has seen social and political crusades increasingly replace religious messages in the pulpits has seen a sharp 35 percent decline in membership of the mainline Protestant denominations associated with the National Council of Churches.
- 5
archaicA Portuguese coin; a crusado.
Etymology
From French croisade, introduced into English (in the French spelling) by 1575. The modern spelling emerges c. 1760,. Middle French croisade is introduced in the 15th century, based on Spanish cruzada (late 14th century) and Old Occitan crozada (early 13th century), both reflecting Medieval Latin cruciāta, cruxiata, the feminine singular of the adjective cruciātus used as an abstract noun. Adjectival cruciātus originally meant "tormented; crucified", but from the 12th century crucesignatus was also used for "marked with a cross; making the sign of the cross" and eventually "taking the cross" in the sense of "going on a crusade". Old Occitan crozada is used in the sense "[the Albigensian] crusade" in the Song of the Albigensian crusade, written c. 1213. From vernacular usage, Middle Latin cruciāta also comes to be used in the sense "crusade" from about 1270.
verb
- 1
To go on a military crusade.
- 2
To make a grand concerted effort toward some purportedly worthy cause.
He crusaded against similar injustices for the rest of his life.
Forms
- plural
- crusades
- past tense
- crusaded
- past participle
- crusaded
- present participle
- crusading
- third person singular
- crusades
crusade · Any war instigated and blessed by the Church for alleged religious ends, (especially) papal-sanctioned military campaigns against infidels or…
Crusade · Any of a series of religious campaigns by Christian forces…crusader · A person engaged in a crusade.crush · A violent collision or compression; a crash; destruction;…