Forms: 6 crise, (cricke), 6–7 crys, 7 crisse, crize, cryze, (crest, cresset, cric), 8 cris, crice, 8–9 cress, creese, 9 kreese, crese, creeze, crease, kris, kriss, krist). [a. Malay kirīs, krīs, kres, according to Yule and Burnell of Javanese origin: the earliest Eng. uses refer to Java.]
A Malay dagger, with a blade of a wavy form.
1577–80. Drake’s Voy., in Hakluyt (1600), III. 742. Certaine wordes of the naturall language of Iaua learned and obserued by our men there, Cricke [? criche], a dagger.
1586–8. Candish’s Voy., ibid. 822. Which dagger they [of Java] call a Crise, and is as sharpe its a razor.
1598. trans. Linschoten’s Voy., 33 (Y.). Manancabo [Sumatra] where they make Poinyards, which in India are called Cryses.
1696. Ovington, Voy. Suratt, 173 (Y.). As the Japanners … rip up their Bowels with a Cric.
1698. W. Chilcot, Evil Thoughts, v. (1851), 53. The Javians, and Sumatrians, by their poisoned crests.
1772–84. Cook, Voy. (1790), III. 916. A crice or short dagger.
1779. Forrest, Voy. N. Guinea, 332. Sooloos, with drawn cresses, pursued the Buggess.
1789. G. Keate, Pelew Isl., 143. Snatched Soogle’s Malay Creese, and stabbed him.
1847. Tennyson, Princess, Prol. 21. The cursed Malayan crease.
1857. S. Osborn, Quedah, ii. 33. Standing on the main-hatch, with a long Illanoon creese in his hand.
1883. Mrs. Bishop, Malay Pen., in Leisure Ho., 197/1. Mr. Ferney has … given me a kris.
