/kroh kee"/ ; Fr. /krddaw kee"/ , n. , pl. croquis /-keez"/ ; Fr. /-kee"/ .
a rough preliminary drawing; sketch.
[ 1800-10; croqu ( er ) to make a quick sketch of, rough out, (earlier) know (a subject) superficially (appar. to be identified with croquer to crunch; see CROQUETTE) + -is n. suffix (see PENTHOUSE) ]