CRUSADE

I. noun Etymology: blend of Middle French croisade & Spanish cruzada; both ultimately from Latin cruc-, crux cross Date: circa 1708 any of the military expeditions undertaken by Christian powers in the 11th, 12th, and 13th centuries to win the Holy Land from the Muslims, a remedial enterprise undertaken with zeal and enthusiasm, II. intransitive verb (~d; crusading) Date: 1732 to engage in a ~, ~r noun