Forms: 4–5 crocer, 4–7 croser, 5 crocere, croycer, crosyar, 5–6 croyser, croiser, 6 crosiar, crosyer, crossier, -ear, (7 croisier), 6– crosier, 9 crozier. [Here two words appear to be confounded, the types of which were respectively OF. crocier, crossier, crosser ‘qui porte la crosse,’ med.L. crociārius bearer of a crocia, ‘croce,’ or ‘crose,’ and F. croisier, L. type *cruciārius one who bears or has to do with a cross (crux, croix). The Anglo-French and ME. forms of these were crocer or croser, and croiser, respectively; but the distinction was lost in the 15–16th c., when the words cross and crose began to be confounded as crosse: see CROSE. In the 16th c. crosier’s or crosier-staff was a common term for the episcopal crook, borne by the crociarius, and at length the crook itself was called the crosier. Many 19th-c. ecclesiastical antiquaries have erroneously transferred the name to the cross borne before an archbishop.
The history of the application of crosier(s) staff and crosier to the episcopal crook, is not quite clear. The former appellation seems pretty obviously due to the fact that the crook or staff was borne by the ‘crocer’ or ‘crosier,’ crociarius, and the latter use may have been short for crosier-staff (the two words being treated as if in apposition); but there is a possibility that both crosier-staff and crosier are due to a vulgar perversion of the L. form crocia. In any case, we have to remember that the ME. name croce, crose was now becoming confounded with cross ‘crux,’ and that some new distinctive term was wanted for the crocia, which was found in crosier-staff and crosier. See Rev. J. T. Fowler in Archæologia, LII. ‘On the use of the terms Crosier, Pastoral Staff, and Cross.’]
† 1. A cross-bearer, one who bears a cross before an archbishop. Obs. (prop. croiser.)
[The first quot. may belong to 2; but cf. texts A and B v. 11.]
1393. Langl., P. Pl., C. VI. 113. Reson reuested ryȝt as a pope, And conscience his crocer [v.rr. croser, croycer, croyser] by-fore þe kynge stande.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv. [see sense 2].
1483. Cath. Angl., A Croser, cruciferarius, crucifer.
1483. Caxton, Gold. Leg., 108 a/1. One syre edward gryme that was his croiser put forth his arme wyth the crosse to bere of the strocke.
1515. in Fiddes, Wolsey, II. (1726), 201. The Bishop of Rochester was Crosier to my Lord of Canterbury during the Masse.
1570–6. Lambarde, Peramb. Kent (1826), 78. In broade streetes … their cross-bearers should go togither, but yet in narrow lanes … the crossier of Canterbury should go before … for feare of iustling.
1586. Holinshed, Ireland, 32. The canon law, that admitteth the crosier to beare the crosse before his archbishop in an other prouince.
1858. J. Purchas, Direct. Anglicanum, 18. The Archiepiscopal Cross is never carried by the Archbishop, but by one of his chaplains chosen to act as Cross-bearer or ‘croyser.’
† 2. The bearer of a bishop’s crook or pastoral staff. Obs. (prop. crocer, croser.)
(Quot. 1380 is placed here, because the date appears to be too early for sense 3.)
[1290. in Jacob, Law Dict., s.v. Crociarius, Clericus Episcopi Dunelm. quem vulgo Crociarium ejus vocant.]
c. 1380. Wyclif, Wks. (1880), 210. Ȝe prelatis … cloþen fatte horsis & gaie sadlis & bridlis & mytris & croceris wiþ gold & siluer & precious stonys.
c. 14[?]. Voc., in Wr.-Wülcker, 569/45. Cambucca, a busshoppys cros; Cambuccarius, a Croser. Ibid., 603/40. Podium, a croos. Podiarius, a Croser.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 104. Crocere, crociarius, cambucarius, crucifer, pedarius, cruciferarius.
c. 1450. Two Cookery-bks., 68. Þe Bisshoppe in pontificalibus; his Croser kneling behinde him, coped.
1558. Machyn, Diary, 171. My lord of London crossear, Master Mortun, on of the gray ames of Powlles.
† b. Hence, apparently, Crosier’s staff, crosier staff, the episcopal staff or crook. Obs.
1488. Inv., in Archæol., XLV. 119. A miter for a bisshop … and a croyser staffe hed gilte thereto.
c. 1511. 1st Eng. Bk. Amer. (Arb.), Introd. 31/1. Theyr bysshops … with the croysers staffe and rynges.
1570. B. Googe, Pop. Kingd., I. (1880), 10 a. His Crosiar staffe in hande he holdes upright.
1611. Speed, Hist. Gt. Brit., IX. iv. § 53. The Bishops with their Crosier staues.
1630. Pagitt, Christianographie, III. (1636), 31. Investure by a Ring and Croziers staffe.
1733. Rites & Mon. Ch. Durh., 19. Crosier staff [so ed. 1767 p. 18].
† c. Identified with the lituus of Roman Augurs.
1585. Higins, trans. Junius’ Nomenclator, 313. Lituus, a crosier’s staffe, or a Bishop’s staffe.
1600. Holland, Livy, X. vii. 356. With a croiser staffe [lituo], and his head vailed … to take Augurie by flight of birds.
3. The pastoral staff or crook of a bishop or abbot. (= med.L. crocea, crocia.)
1500. Inv. Ch. Goods St. Dunstan’s Canterb., in Archæol. Cant. (1886), XVI. 315. A vestment for Saint Nicholas tyme with crosyar and myter.
1539. Inv. St. Osyth’s Priory (in Trans. Essex Archæol. Soc., V. 55), Item a Crosyer of sylver gylte.
1570–6. Lambarde, Peramb. Kent (1826), 223. A great dispute … not for the Crosse (for that is the Archbishops warre) but for the Crosier of the Bishop of Rochester.
1610. Guillim, Heraldry (1679), 206. The … Shepherd of whose Crook this Croysier hath a resemblance.
1782. Priestley, Corrupt. Chr., II. X. 251. The crosier, or pastoral staff, was the lituus of the Roman augurs.
1827. Praed, Poems (1865), I. 243. A pious priest might the Abbot seem, He had swayed his crozier well.
1846. Sir J. Stephen, Eccl. Biog. (1850), I. 53. To place the Sceptre on a level with the Crosier.
1862. Eadie, Eccl. Cycl. (ed. 2), s.v., The crosier bequeathed by William of Wykeham to New College, Oxford.
† b. Applied erroneously to the cross of an archbishop. (Rare before 19th c.: two 18th c. instances.)
1704. Cocker, Eng. Dict., Crosier, an Arch Bishops staff.
1796. Gough, etc., Sepulchral Monuments in Gt. Brit., II. II. 129. (Referring to monument of Abp. Chichele). The crosier of metal and probably of later date, lying between his left arm and body is surmounted by a cross patée, and has a round knob in the middle and at the bottom.
1819. Rees, Cyclop., s.v., The crosier of an archbishop consists of a lofty processional cross with a single bar to it.
1834. M. H. Bloxham, Mon. Archit., 34. The pastoral staff has often been confounded with the crosier; the latter was, however,… a staff, headed with a cross instead of a crook, and this was carried by the Archbishops.
1848. Mrs. Jameson, Sacr. & Leg. Art (1850), 105. The staff or crosier, surmounted by a cross.
1876. Scudamore, Notitia Euchar., 110. We have said nothing of the Crosier borne before an Archbishop.
1880. W. Smith & Cheetham, Dict. Chr. Antiq., 1567.
4. transf. (from 3). a. The curled top of a young fern.
[1831. J. Davies, Manual Mat. Med., 425. Leaves alternate, rolled up like a crosier before their expansion.]
1874. Lyell, Elem. Geol., xv. 230. The Croziers of some of the young Ferns are very perfect.
b. The flat convolute shell of the cephalopod Spirula.
1840. F. D. Bennett, Whaling Voy., ii. 69. A great number of the elegant shells (formerly named Croziers) contained in the body of that curious nondescript animal, the Spirala Australis. Ibid., 102. Incredible quantities of croziers, or shells of the Spirula cephalopod.
† 5. The constellation of the Southern Cross; pl. the four stars of this constellation: cf. CROSS 12. Obs. [ad. OSp. cruciero, Sp. crucero, cross-bearer, Southern Cross.]
1555. Eden, 2nd Voy. to Guinea, in Decades, 351. In xv. degrees we dyde neere the crossiers [margin, The crosiers or cross starres].
1594. [see CROSS 12].
1665. G. Havers, P. della Valle’s Trav. E. India, 337. A Constellation of four starrs, the Mariners call the Crosiers; these stars appear like a Cross.
1670. Narborough, Jrnl., in Acc. Sev. Late Voy., I. (1711), 25. The Crosers, Stars of the first and second Magnitude, are good for Observation.
1727–51. Chambers, Cycl., Crosier in Astronomy, four stars in form of a cross; by help whereof those who sail in the southern hemisphere find the antarctic pole.
6. attrib. and Comb., as crozier bud, head (cf. 4 a); crosier-like adj.
1862. Burton, Bk. Hunter (1863), 24. The handle was of a peculiar crosier-like formation.
1885. Mrs. Lynn Linton, Christ. Kirkland, II. 42. The crozier heads of forth-coming, far-spreading fronds.
1891. Moore’s Almanack, 10. The bursting ferns their crozier buds unfold.
Crosier [Sp. crucero], early f. CRUISER.
