arch. Forms: 5– cruse; also 5 crowse, crowce, crewse, crwce, 5–7 cruce, 6 crouse, cruys(e, crewyse, 7 cruze, criuze, 8 creuse, 8–9 cruise. [A word of which similar forms are found in most of the Teutonic langs.; cf. Icel. krús (a 1300) pot, tankard, Da. kruus mug, jug, cruet, Sw. krus mug; also OHG. *krûse represented by dim. krûselín, MHG. krûse, Ger. krause pot with a lid, MLG. hrûs, krôs, LG. kroos, krûs, kraus; MDu. cruyse, Du. kroes; WFris. kroes, EFris. krôs, NFris. kruas, kröss, Wang. krûs.
The etymological history is uncertain, as is also the original type, since the LG., Du. and Fris. present forms both in û and ô; in Eng. also, it is noteworthy that we have beside ME. u, modern u, where we should expect ou. The variant spelling in ui, (uy) from 16th c. appears to be from Dutch. The historical pronunciation is with s (cf. the early cruce), which also now predominates; but the spelling with z has been occasional since 1600, and a corresponding pronunciation is given by Smart and Cassell, and often heard.]
A small earthen vessel for liquids; a pot, jar or bottle; also a drinking vessel.
c. 1420. Pallad. on Husb., I. 584. Twey cruses in oon day. Ibid., XI. 349. A cruce into a stene of wyne devise.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 105. Crowse, or cruse, potte [P. crowce or crwce].
1481–90. Howard Househ. Bks. (Roxb.), 404. For drynkyng crewses for howsold viij.d.
1526. Skelton, Magnyf., 2192. Then he may drink out of a stone cruyse.
1535. Coverdale, 1 Kings xvii. 16. The oyle in the cruse fayled not.
1603. B. Jonson, King’s Entertainment. A crystal Cruze fill’d with Wine.
1634. Peacham, Gentl. Exerc., I. xxvii. 94. In a crucible or melting cruse.
1742. Collins, Eclogues, ii. 3. One cruise of water on his back he bore.
1755. Johnson, Cruise, a small cup.
1817. Coleridge, Zapolya, II. What if I leave these cakes, this cruse of wine Here by this cave.
1892. Raine, Handbk. York Museum, 167. Cruses and Pottle-pots of black and brown ware.
b. fig. (with allusion to 1 Kings xvii. 12–16).
c. 1620. Z. Boyd, Zion’s Flowers (1885), 40. Thy cruse of joye is it already spent?
1849. Thackeray, Pendennis, xx. He had dipped ungenerously into a generous mother’s purse, basely and recklessly spilt her little cruse.
