Cruzadoes

Part of speech: noun, plural

Definitions

1. Members of a religious military order prominent during the medieval Crusades ; coins used historically in Portugal and Spain with religious or crusader motifs ; individuals participating in or supporting crusading efforts in historical or metaphorical contexts
2. Warriors belonging to an organized Christian military group involved in historical religious campaigns ; monetary units minted in Iberian countries featuring crusader symbolism ; people engaged in or advocating for crusade-like missions either in past events or allegorical usage
3. Knights associated with medieval holy wars sanctioned by the church ; currency historically circulated in the Iberian Peninsula bearing crusading imagery ; persons taking part in or endorsing crusading ventures in historical or figurative senses

Etymology: "Cruzadoes" is the plural of "cruzado," which came into English from Portuguese. The Portuguese word derives from "cruz," meaning cross, and the same Latin source gave English the more technical "cruciate," a doublet that entered English through a different, more learned path. Both words trace back to the Latin "crux," so they share a root even though they reached English by separate routes. The plural form covers three distinct senses. The first refers to knights who fought in the medieval holy wars authorized by the church, the Crusades, whose members wore the cross as their badge. The second is the currency circulated in the Iberian Peninsula, where coins bore crusading imagery, a reminder that the cross was stamped on money as well as on armour. The third applies figuratively to people who take part in or champion crusading causes.

Synonyms: cruzados