‖n.; pl. Crura [ L., the leg. ] (Anat.) (a) That part of the hind limb between the femur, or thigh, and the ankle, or tarsus; the shank. (b) Often applied, especially in the plural, to parts which are supposed to resemble a pair of legs; as, the crura of the diaphragm, a pair of muscles attached to it; crura cerebri, two bundles of nerve fibers in the base of the brain, connecting the medulla and the forebrain. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Crusaded; p. pr. & vb. n. Crusading. ] To engage in a crusade; to attack in a zealous or hot-headed manner. “Cease crusading against sense.” M. Green. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. croisade, fr. Pr. crozada, or Sp cruzada, or It. crociata, from a verb signifying to take the cross, mark one's self with a cross, fr. L. crux cross; or possibly taken into English directly fr. Pr. Cf. Croisade, Crosado, and see Cross. ] 1. Any one of the military expeditions undertaken by Christian powers, in the 11th, 12th, and 13th centuries, for the recovery of the Holy Land from the Muslims. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Any enterprise undertaken with zeal and enthusiasm; as, a crusade against intemperance. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A Portuguese coin. See Crusado. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One engaged in a crusade; as, the crusaders of the Middle Ages. [ 1913 Webster ]

Azure-eyed and golden-haired,
Forth the young crusaders fared. Longfellow. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Of or pertaining to a crusade; as, a crusading spirit. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Pg. cruzado, fr. cruz, fr. L. crux. See Crusade, 3. ] An old Portuguese coin, worth about seventy cents. [ Written also cruade. ] Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Akin to LG. kruus, kroos, mug, jug, jar, D. kroes, G. krause, Icel. krus, Sw. krus, Dan. kruus. Cf. Crucible, Cresset. ] 1. A cup or dish. [ 1913 Webster ]

Take with thee . . . a cruse of honey. 1 Kings xiv. 3. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A bottle for holding water, oil, honey, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

So David took . . . the cruse of water. 1 Sam. xxvi. 12. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. creuset. See Cruse, Crucible. ] A goldsmith's crucible or melting pot. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Crushed p. pr. & vb. n. Crushing. ] [ OE. cruschen, crousshen, Of. cruisir, croissir, fr. LL. cruscire, prob. of Ger. origin, from a derivative of the word seen in Goth. kruistan to gnash; akin to Sw. krysta to squeeze, Dan. kryste, Icel. kreysta. ] 1. To press or bruise between two hard bodies; to squeeze, so as to destroy the natural shape or integrity of the parts, or to force together into a mass; as, to crush grapes. [ 1913 Webster ]

Ye shall not offer unto the Lord that which is bruised, or crushed, or broken, or cut. Lev. xxii. 24. [ 1913 Webster ]

The ass . . . thrust herself unto the wall, and crushed Balaam's foot against the wall. Num. xxii. 25. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To reduce to fine particles by pounding or grinding; to comminute; as, to crush quartz. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To overwhelm by pressure or weight; to beat or force down, as by an incumbent weight. [ 1913 Webster ]

To crush the pillars which the pile sustain. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

Truth, crushed to earth, shall rise again. Bryant. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. To oppress or burden grievously. [ 1913 Webster ]

Thou shalt be only oppressed and crushed alway. Deut. xxviii. 33. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. To overcome completely; to subdue totally. [ 1913 Webster ]

Speedily overtaking and crushing the rebels. Sir. W. Scott. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. to subdue or overwhelm (a person) by argument or a cutting remark; to cause (a person) to feel chagrin or humiliation; to squelch. [ PJC ]

To crush a cup, to drink. [ Obs. ] --
To crush out. (a) To force out or separate by pressure, as juice from grapes. (b) To overcome or destroy completely; to suppress. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To be or become broken down or in, or pressed into a smaller compass, by external weight or force; as, an eggshell crushes easily. [ 1913 Webster ]