Chapter 100

16. (Geom.) The area inclosed between two concentric perimeters.

17. (Eccl.) A round spot shaved clean on the top of the head, as a mark of the clerical state; the tonsure.

18. A size of writing paper. See under Paper.

19. A coin stamped with the image of a crown; hence,a denomination of money; as, the English crown, a silver coin of the value of five shillings sterling, or a little more than $1.20; the Danish or Norwegian crown, a money of account, etc., worth nearly twenty-seven cents.

20. An ornaments or decoration representing a crown; as, the paper is stamped with a crown.

Crown of aberration (Astron.), a spurious circle around the true circle of the sun. -- Crown antler (Zo÷l.), the topmost branch or tine of an antler; also, an antler having a cuplike top, with tines springing from the rim. -- Crown bar, one of the bars which support the crown sheet of steam-boiler furnace. -- Crown glass. See under Glass. -- Crown imperial. (Bot.) See in the Vocabulary. -- Crown jewels, the jewels appertaining to the sovereign while wearing the crown. [Eng.] "She pawned and set to sale the crown jewels." Milton. -- Crown land, land belonging to the crown, that is, to the sovereign. -- Crown law, the law which governs criminal prosecutions. [Eng.] -- Crown lawyer, one employed by the crown, as in criminal cases. [Eng.] -- Crown octavo. See under Paper. -- Crown office. See in the Vocabulary. -- Crown paper. See under Paper. -- Crown piece. See in the Vocabulary. -- Crown Prince, the heir apparent to a crown or throne. -- Crown saw. See in the Vocabulary. -- Crown scab (Far.), a cancerous sore formed round the corners of a horse's hoof. -- Crown sheet, the flat plate which forms the top of the furnace or fire box of an internally fired steam boiler. -- Crown shell. (Zo÷l.) See Acorn-shell. -- Crown side. See Crown office. -- Crown tax (Eccl. Hist.), a golden crown, or its value, which was required annually from the Jews by the king of Syria, in the time of the Maccabees. 1 Macc. x. 20. -- Crown wheel. See in the Vocabulary. -- Crown work. See in the Vocabulary. -- Pleas of the crown (Engl. law), criminal actions.

Crown (kroun), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Crowned (kround); p. pr. & vb. n. Crowning.] [OE. coronen, corunen, crunien, crounien, OF. coroner, F. couronner, fr. L. coronare, fr. corona a crown. See Crown, n.] 1. To cover, decorate, or invest with a crown; hence, to invest with royal dignity and power.

Her who fairest does appear, Crown her queen of all the year. Dryden.

Crown him, and say, "Long live our emperor." Shak.

2. To bestow something upon as a mark of honor, dignity, or recompense; to adorn; to dignify.

Thou . . . hast crowned him with glory and honor. Ps. viii. 5.

3. To form the topmost or finishing part of; to complete; to consummate; to perfect.

Amidst the grove that crowns yon tufted hill. Byron.

One day shall crown the alliance. Shak.

To crown the whole, came a proposition. Motley.

4. (Mech.) To cause to round upward; to make anything higher at the middle than at the edges, as the face of a machine pulley.

5. (Mil.) To effect a lodgment upon, as upon the crest of the glacis, or the summit of the breach.

To crown a knot (Naut.), to lay the ends of the strands over and under each other.

Crowned (kround), p. p. & a. 1. Having or wearing a crown; surmounted, invested, or adorned, with a crown, wreath, garland, etc.; honored; rewarded; completed; consummated; perfected. "Crowned with one crest." Shak. "Crowned with conquest." Milton.

With surpassing glory crowned. Milton.

2. Great; excessive; supreme. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Crown"er (kroun"?r), n. 1. One who, or that which, crowns. Beau. & FL.

2. [Cf. Coroner.] A coroner. [Prov. Eng. or Scot.]

Crown"et (kroun"?t), n. [See Crown, Coronet.]

1. A coronet. [R.] P. Whitehead.

2. The ultimate end and result of an undertaking; a chief end. [Obs.]

O this false soul of Egypt! this grave charm . . . . Whose bosom was my crownet, my chief end. Shak.

Crown"-im*pe"ri*al (-?m-p?"r?-al), n. (Bot.) A spring-blooming plant (Fritillaria imperialis) of the Lily family, having at the top of the stalk a cluster of pendent bell-shaped flowers surmounted with a tuft of green leaves.

Crown"less, a. Without a crown.

Crown"let (-l?t), n. A coronet. [Poetic] Sir W. Scott.

Crown" of`fice (?f`f?s; 115). (Eng. Law) The criminal branch of the Court of King's or Queen's Bench, commonly called the crown side of the court, which takes cognizance of all criminal cases. Burrill.

Crown"piece` (-p?s`), n. (a) A piece or part which passes over the head, as in a bridle. (b) A coin [In sense (b) properly crown piece.] See Crown, 19.

Crown"-post` (kroun"p?st`), n. Same as King-post.

Crown"-saw` (-s?`), n. [From its supposed resemblance to a crown.] (Mech.) A saw in the form of a hollow cylinder, with teeth on the end or edge, and operated by a rotative motion.

&fist; The trephine was the first of the class of crownsaws. Knight.

Crown" side` (s?d`). See Crown office.

Crown" wheel` (hw?l`). [Named from its resemblance to a crown.] (Mach.) A wheel with cogs or teeth set at right angles to its plane; -- called also a contrate wheel or face wheel.

Crown"work` (-w?rk`), n. (Fort.) A work consisting of two or more bastioned fronts, with their outworks, covering an enceinte, a bridgehead, etc., and connected by wings with the main work or the river bank.

Crow"-quill` (kr?"kw?l`), n. A quill of the crow, or a very fine pen made from such a quill.

Crows (kr?z), n. pl.; sing. Crow. (Ethnol.) A tribe of Indians of the Dakota stock, living in Montana; -- also called Upsarokas.

Crow's"-foot` (kr?z"f??t`), n.; pl. Crow's-feet (-fēt`).

1. pl. The wrinkles that appear, as the effect of age or dissipation, under and around the outer corners of the eyes. Tennyson.

2. (Mil.) A caltrop. [Written also crowfoot.]

3. (Arch.) Same as Bird's- mouth. [U.S.]

Crow"-silk` (kr?"s?lk`), n. (Bot.) A filamentous fresh-water alga (Conferva rivularis of Linnaeus, Rhizoclonium rivulare of Kutzing).

Crow's-nest` (kr?z"n?st`), n. (Naut.) A box or perch near the top of a mast, esp. in whalers, to shelter the man on the lookout.

Crow"step` (kr?"st?p`), n. (Arch.) See Corriestep.

Crow"stone` (kr?"st?n`), n. (Arch.) The top stone of the gable end of a house. Halliwell.

Crowth (krouth), n. An ancient musical instrument. See 4th Crowd.

Crow"toe` (krō"tō`), n. (Bot.) 1. The Lotus corniculatus. Dr. Prior.

2. An unidentified plant, probably the crowfoot. "The tufted crowtoe." Milton.

Crow"-trod`den (krō"tr?d`d'n), a. Marked with crow's-feet, or wrinkles, about the eyes. [Poetic]

Do I look as if I were crow-trodden? Beau. & FL.

Croyl"stone` (kroil"stōn`), n. (Min.) Crystallized cawk, in which the crystals are small.

Croys (krois), n. See Cross, n. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Croze (kr?z), n. [Cf. Cross, and Crosier.] A cooper's tool for making the grooves for the heads of casks, etc.; also, the groove itself.

Cro"zier (kr?"zh?r), n. See Crosier.

Cro"ziered (-zh?rd), a. Crosiered.

Cru"cial (kr?"shal), a. [F. crucial, fr. L. crux, crucis, cross, torture. See Cross.] 1. Having the form of a cross; appertaining to a cross; cruciform; intersecting; as, crucial ligaments; a crucial incision.

2. Severe; trying or searching, as if bringing to the cross; decisive; as, a crucial test.

Cru"cian carp` (-shan k?rp`). [Cf. Sw. karussa, G. karausche, F. carousse, - assin, corassin, LL. coracinus, Gr. &?;&?;&?;&?;&?; a sort of fish.] (Zo÷l.) A kind of European carp (Carasius vulgaris), inferior to the common carp; -- called also German carp.

&fist; The gibel or Prussian carp is now generally considered a variety of the crucian carp, or perhaps a hybrid between it and the common carp.

Cru"ci*ate (kr?"sh?-?t or -sh?t; 106), a. [L. cruciatus, p. p. of cruciare to crucify, torture, fr. crux, crucis, a cross. See Cross.] 1. Tormented. [Obs.] Bale.

2. (Bot.) Having the leaves or petals arranged in the form of a cross; cruciform.

Cru"ci*ate (kr?"sh?-?t), v. t. To torture; to torment. [Obs.] See Excruciate. Bale.

Cru`ci*a"tion (kr?`sh?-?"sh?n), n. [LL. cruciatio.] The act of torturing; torture; torment. [Obs.] Bp. Hall.

Cru"ci*ble (kr&udd;"s&ibreve;*b'l), n. [LL. crucibulum a hanging lamp, an earthen pot for melting metals (cf. OF. croisel, creuseul, sort of lamp, crucible, F. creuset crucible), prob. of German origin; cf. OHG. krūsul, LG. krŘsel, hanging lamp, kroos, kruus, mug, jug, jar, D. kroes cup, crucible, Dan. kruus, Sw. krus, E. cruse. It was confused with derivatives of L. crux cross (cf. Crosslet), and crucibles were said to have been marked with a cross, to prevent the devil from marring the chemical operation. See Cruse, and cf. Cresset.] 1. A vessel or melting pot, composed of some very refractory substance, as clay, graphite, platinum, and used for melting and calcining substances which require a strong degree of heat, as metals, ores, etc.

2. A hollow place at the bottom of a furnace, to receive the melted metal.

3. A test of the most decisive kind; a severe trial; as, the crucible of affliction.

Hessian crucible (Chem.), a cheap, brittle, and fragile, but very refractory crucible, composed of the finest fire clay and sand, and commonly used for a single heating; -- named from the place of manufacture.

Cru"ci*fer (-f?r), n. [See Cruciferous.] (Bot.) Any plant of the order CruciferŠ.

Cru*cif"er*ous (kr?-s?f"?r-?s), a. [L. crux, crucis, cross + -ferous: cf. F. crucif&?;re.] 1. Bearing a cross.

2. (Bot.) Of, pertaining to, or resembling, a family of plants which have four petals arranged like the arms of a cross, as the mustard, radish, turnip, etc.

Cru"ci*fi`er (kr?"s?-f?`?r), n. One who crucifies; one who subjects himself or another to a painful trial.

Cru"ci*fix (kr?"s?-f?ks), n.; pl. Crucifixes (-&?;z). [F. crucifix or LL. crucifixum, fr. L. crux, crucis, cross + figere, fixum, to fix. See Cross, and Fix, and cf. Crucify.] 1. A representation in art of the figure of Christ upon the cross; esp., the sculptured figure affixed to a real cross of wood, ivory, metal, or the like, used by the Roman Catholics in their devotions.

The cross, too, by degrees, become the crucifix. Milman.

And kissing oft her crucifix, Unto the block she drew. Warner.

2. The cross or religion of Christ. [R.] Jer. Taylor.

Cru`ci*fix"ion (kr?`s?-f?k"sh?n), n. 1. The act of nailing or fastening a person to a cross, for the purpose of putting him to death; the use of the cross as a method of capital punishment.

2. The state of one who is nailed or fastened to a cross; death upon a cross.

3. Intense suffering or affliction; painful trial.

Do ye prove What crucifixions are in love? Herrick.

Cru"ci*form (kr?"s?-f?rm), a. [L. crux, crucis, cress + -form: cf. F. cruciforme.] Cross-shaped; (Bot.) having four parts arranged in the form of a cross.

Cru"ci*fy (-f?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Crucified (-f?d); p. pr. & vb. n. Crucifying.] [F. crucifier, fr. (assumed) LL. crucificare, for crucifigere, fr, L. crux, crucis, cross + figere to fix, the ending -figere being changed to -ficare, F. -fier (in compounds), as if fr. L. facere to do, make. See Cross, and Fix, and cf. Crucifix.] 1. To fasten to a cross; to put to death by nailing the hands and feet to a cross or gibbet.

They cried, saying, Crucify him, cricify him. Luke xxiii. 21.

2. To destroy the power or ruling influence of; to subdue completely; to mortify.

They that are Christ's have crucified the flesh, with the affections and lusts. Gal. v. 24.

3. To vex or torment. Beau. & FL.

Cru*cig"er*ous (kr?-s?j"?r-?s), a. [L. crux, cricis, cross + -gerous.] Bearing the cross; marked with the figure of a cross. Sir. T. Browne.

Crud (kr?d), n. See Curd. [Obs.]

Crud"dle (-d'l), v. i. To curdle. [Obs.]

See how thy blood cruddles at this. Bea&?; & FL.

Crude (kr&udd;d), a. [Compar. Cruder (-&etilde;r); superl. Crudest.] [L. crudus raw; akin to cruor blood (which flows from a wound). See Raw, and cf. Cruel.] 1. In its natural state; not cooked or prepared by fire or heat; undressed; not altered, refined, or prepared for use by any artificial process; raw; as, crude flesh. "Common crude salt." Boyle.

Molding to its will each successive deposit of the crude materials. I. Taylor.

2. Unripe; not mature or perfect; immature.

I come to pluck your berries harsh and crude. Milton.

3. Not reduced to order or form; unfinished; not arranged or prepared; ill-considered; immature. "Crude projects." Macaulay.

Crude, undigested masses of suggestion, furnishing rather raw materials for composition. De Quincey.

The originals of Nature in their crude Conception. Milton.

4. Undigested; unconcocted; not brought into a form to give nourishment. "Crude and inconcoct." Bacon.

5. Having, or displaying, superficial and undigested knowledge; without culture or profundity; as, a crude reasoner.

6. (Paint.) Harsh and offensive, as a color; tawdry or in bad taste, as a combination of colors, or any design or work of art.

Crude"ly, adv. In a crude, immature manner.

Crude"ness, n. A crude, undigested, or unprepared state; rawness; unripeness; immatureness; unfitness for a destined use or purpose; as, the crudeness of iron ore; crudeness of theories or plans.

Cru"di*ty (kr&udd;"d&ibreve;*t&ybreve;), n.; pl. Crudities (- t&ibreve;z). [L. cruditas, fr. crudus: cf. F. cruditÚ. See Crude.] 1. The condition of being crude; rawness.

2. That which is in a crude or undigested state; hence, superficial, undigested views, not reduced to order or form. "Crudities in the stomach." Arbuthnot.

Cru"dle (-d'l), v. i. See Cruddle.

Crud"y (kr?d"?), a. [From Crud.] Coagulated. [Obs.]

His cruel wounds with crudy blood congealed. Spenser.

Cru"dy (kr?"d?), a. [From Crude.] Characterized by crudeness; raw. [Obs.]

The foolish and dull and crudy vapors. Shak.

Cru"el (kr&udd;"&ebreve;l), n. See Crewel.

Cru"el (kr&udd;"&ebreve;l), a. [F. cruel, fr. L. crudelis, fr. crudus. See Crude.] 1. Disposed to give pain to others; willing or pleased to hurt, torment, or afflict; destitute of sympathetic kindness and pity; savage; inhuman; hard-hearted; merciless.

Behold a people cometh from the north country; . . . they are cruel and have no mercy. Jer. vi. 22,23.

2. Causing, or fitted to cause, pain, grief, or misery.

Cruel wars, wasting the earth. Milton.

Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce; and their wrath for it was cruel. Gen. xlix. 7.

3. Attended with cruetly; painful; harsh.

You have seen cruel proof of this man's strength. Shak.

Cru"el*ly, adv. 1. In a cruel manner.

2. Extremely; very. [Colloq.] Spectator.

Cru"el*ness, n.Cruelty. [Obs.] Spenser.

Cru"els (kr&udd;"&ebreve;lz), n. pl. [Corrupt. fr. F. Úcrouelles scrofula.] Glandular scrofulous swellings in the neck.

Cru"el*ty (-t&ybreve;), n.; pl. Cruelties (-t&ibreve;z). [OF. crueltÚ, F. cruautÚ, fr. L. crudelitas, fr. crudelis. See Cruel.]

1. The attribute or quality of being cruel; a disposition to give unnecessary pain or suffering to others; inhumanity; barbarity.

Pierced through the heart with your stern cruelty. Shak.

2. A cruel and barbarous deed; inhuman treatment; the act of willfully causing unnecessary pain.

Cruelties worthy of the dungeons of the Inquisition. Macaulay.

Cru"en*tate (kr?"?n-t?t), a. [L. cruentatus, p. p. of cruentare to make bloody, fr. cruentus bloody, fr. cruor. See Crude.] Smeared with blood. [Obs.] Glanwill.

Cru*en"tous (kr?-?n"t?s), a. [L. cruentus.] Bloody; cruentate. [Obs.]

Cru"et (kr&udd;"&ebreve;t), n. [Anglo-French cruet, a dim. from OF. crue, cruie; of German or Celtic origin, and akin to E. crock an earthen vessel.] 1. A bottle or vessel; esp., a vial or small glass bottle for holding vinegar, oil, pepper, or the like, for the table; a caster. Swift.

2. (Eccl.) A vessel used to hold wine, oil, or water for the service of the altar.

Cruet stand, a frame for holding cruets; a caster.

Cruise (kr&udd;s), n. See Cruse, a small bottle.

Cruise (kr&udd;z), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Cruised (kr&udd;zd); p. pr. & vb. n. Cruising.] [D. kruisen to move crosswise or in a zigzag, to cruise, fr. kruis cross, fr. OF. crois, croiz, F. croix, or directly fr. OF. croisier, F. croiser, to cross, cruise, fr. crois a cross. See Cross.]

1. To sail back and forth on the ocean; to sail, as for the potection of commerce, in search of an enemy, for plunder, or for pleasure.

&fist; A ship cruises in any particular sea or ocean; as, in the Baltic or in the Atlantic. She cruises off any cape; as, off the Lizard; off Ushant. She cruises on a coast; as, on the coast of Africa. A priate cruises to seize vessels; a yacht cruises for the pleasure of the owner.

Ships of war were sent to cruise near the isle of Bute. Macaulay.

'Mid sands, and rocks, and storms to cruise for pleasure. Young.

2. To wander hither and thither on land. [Colloq.]

Cruise, n. A voyage made in various directions, as of an armed vessel, for the protection of other vessels, or in search of an enemy; a sailing to and fro, as for exploration or for pleasure.

He feigned a compliance with some of his men, who were bent upon going a cruise to Manilla. Dampier.

Cruis"er (kr?"z?r), n. One who, or a vessel that, cruises; -- usually an armed vessel.

Cruive (kr&usdot;v), n. A kind of weir or dam for trapping salmon; also, a hovel. [Scot.]

Crull (kr&usdot;l), a. [See Curl.] Curly; curled. [Obs.]

Crul"ler (krŭl"l&etilde;r), n. [Cf. Curl.] A kind of sweet cake cut in strips and curled or twisted, and fried crisp in boiling fat. [Also written kruller.]

Crumb (krŭm), n. [AS. cruma, akin to D. kruim, G. krume; cf. G. krauen to scratch, claw.] [Written also crum.] 1. A small fragment or piece; especially, a small piece of bread or other food, broken or cut off.

Desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table. Luke xvi. 21.

2. Fig.: A little; a bit; as, a crumb of comfort.

3. The soft part of bread.

Dust unto dust, what must be, must; If you can't get crumb, you'd best eat crust. Old Song.

Crumb brush, a brush for sweeping crumbs from a table. -- To a crum, with great exactness; completely.

Crumb, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Crumbed (kr?md); p. pr. & vb. n. Crumbing (kr?m"?ng).] To break into crumbs or small pieces with the fingers; as, to crumb bread. [Written also crum.]

Crumb"cloth` (-kl&?;th`; 115), n. A cloth to be laid under a dining table to receive falling fragments, and keep the carpet or floor clean. [Written also crumcloth.]

Crum"ble (kr?m"b'l), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Crumbled (-b'ld); p. pr. & vb. n. Crumbling (-bl?ng).] [Dim. of crumb, v. t., akin to D. krimelen G. kr&?;meln.] To break into small pieces; to cause to fall in pieces.

He with his bare wand can unthread thy joints, And crumble all thy sinews. Milton.

Crum"ble, v. i. To fall into small pieces; to break or part into small fragments; hence, to fall to decay or ruin; to become disintegrated; to perish.

If the stone is brittle, it will crumble and pass into the form of gravel. Arbuthnot.

The league deprived of its principal supports must soon crumble to pieces. Prescott.

Crum"bly (-bl?), a. Easily crumbled; friable; brittle. "The crumbly soil." Hawthorne.

Cru"me*nal (kr?"m?-nal), n. [L. crumena purse.] A purse. [Obs.] Dr. H. More.

Crum"ma*ble (krŭm"m&adot;*b'l), a. Capable of being crumbed or broken into small pieces.

Crum"my (krŭm"m&ybreve;), a. 1. Full of crumb or crumbs.

2. Soft, as the crumb of bread is; not crusty.

Crump (kr?mp), a. [AS. crumb stooping, bent down; akin to OHG. chrumb, G. krumm, Dan. krum, D. krom, and E. cramp.] 1. Crooked; bent. [Obs.]

Crooked backs and crump shoulders. Jer. Taylor.

2. Hard or crusty; dry baked; as, a crump loaf. [Prov. Eng. & Scot.] Hallivell.

Crump"et (krŭmp"&ebreve;t), n. [Prob. from W. crempog, crammwgth, a pancake or fritter.] A kind of large, thin muffin or cake, light and spongy, and cooked on a griddle or spider.

Crum"ple (krŭm"p'l), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Crumpled (-p'ld); p. pr. & vb. n. Crumpling (-pl?ng).] [Dim. fr. crump, a.] To draw or press into wrinkles or folds; to crush together; to rumple; as, to crumple paper.

They crumpled it into all shapes, and diligently scanned every wrinkle that could be made. Addison.

Crum"ple, v. i. To contract irregularly; to show wrinkles after being crushed together; as, leaves crumple.

Crump"y (krŭmp"&ybreve;), a. Brittle; crisp. Wright.

Crunch (krŭnch), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Crunched (krŭncht); p. pr. & vb. n. Crunching.] [Prob. of imitative origin; or cf. D. schransen to eat heartily, or E. scrunch.] 1. To chew with force and noise; to craunch.

And their white tusks crunched o'er the whiter skull. Byron.

2. To grind or press with violence and noise.

The ship crunched through the ice. Kane.

3. To emit a grinding or craunching noise.

The crunching and ratting of the loose stones. H. James.

Crunch, v. t. To crush with the teeth; to chew with a grinding noise; to craunch; as, to crunch a biscuit.

{ Crunk (krŭ&nsm;k), Crun"kle (krŭ&nsm;"k'l), } v. i. [Cf. Icel. kr&?;nka to croak.] To cry like a crane. [Obs.] "The crane crunketh." Withals (1608).

Cru*no"dal (kr?-n?"dal), a. (Geom.) Possessing, or characterized by, a crunode; - - used of curves.

Cru"node (kr?"n?d), n. [Prob. fr. L. crux a cross + E. node.] (Geom.) A point where one branch of a curve crosses another branch. See Double point, under Double, a.

||Cru"or (kr?"?r), n. [L., blood. See Crude.] The coloring matter of the blood; the clotted portion of coagulated blood, containing the coloring matter; gore.

Cru"o*rin (-?-r?n), n. (Physiol.) The coloring matter of the blood in the living animal; hŠmoglobin.

Crup (kr?p), a. [Cf. OHG. grop, G. grob, coarse.] Short; brittle; as, crup cake. Todd.

Crup (kr?p), n. See Croup, the rump of a horse.

Crup"per (kr?p"p?r in U.S.; kr?p"?r in Eng.), n. [F. croupi&?;re, fr. croupe. See Croup the rump of a horse.] [Written also crouper.] 1. The buttocks or rump of a horse.

2. A leather loop, passing under a horse's tail, and buckled to the saddle to keep it from slipping forwards.

Crup"per, v. t. To fit with a crupper; to place a crupper upon; as, to crupper a horse.

||Cru"ra (kr?"r?), n. pl. (Anat.) See Crus.

Cru"ral (-ral), a. [L. cruralis, fr. crus, cruris, leg: cf. F. crural.] (Anat.) Of or pertaining to the thigh or leg, or to any of the parts called crura; as, the crural arteries; crural arch; crural canal; crural ring.

||Crus (kr?s), n.; pl. Crura (kr&?;"r&?;). [L., the leg.] (Anat.) (a) That part of the hind limb between the femur, or thigh, and the ankle, or tarsus; the shank. (b) Often applied, especially in the plural, to parts which are supposed to resemble a pair of legs; as, the crura of the diaphragm, a pair of muscles attached to it; crura cerebri, two bundles of nerve fibers in the base of the brain, connecting the medulla and the forebrain.

Cru*sade" (kr?-s?d"), n. [F. croisade, fr. Pr. crozada, or Sp cruzada, or It. crociata, from a verb signifying to take the cross, mark one's self with a cross, fr. L. crux cross; or possibly taken into English directly fr. Pr. Cf. Croisade, Crosado, and see Cross.] 1. Any one of the military expeditions undertaken by Christian powers, in the 11th, 12th, and 13th centuries, for the recovery of the Holy Land from the Mohammedans.

2. Any enterprise undertaken with zeal and enthusiasm; as, a crusade against intemperance.

3. A Portuguese coin. See Crusado.

Cru*sade", v. i. [imp. & p. p. Crusaded; p. pr. & vb. n. Crusading.] To engage in a crusade; to attack in a zealous or hot-headed manner. "Cease crusading against sense." M. Green.

Cru*sad"er (-s?"d?r), n. One engaged in a crusade; as, the crusaders of the Middle Ages.

Azure-eyed and golden-haired, Forth the young crusaders fared. Longfellow.