| crusade | (n) any of the more or less continuous military expeditions in the 11th to 13th centuries when Christian powers of Europe tried to recapture the Holy Land from the Muslims |
| crusade | (v) exert oneself continuously, vigorously, or obtrusively to gain an end or engage in a crusade for a certain cause or person; be an advocate for, Syn. agitate, press, push, campaign, fight, Example: The liberal party pushed for reforms; She is crusading for women's rights; The Dean is pushing for his favorite candidate |
| crusade | (v) go on a crusade; fight a holy war |
| crusader | (n) a warrior who engages in a holy war, Example: the Crusaders tried to recapture the Holy Land from the Muslims |
| fifth crusade | (n) a Crusade under papal control from 1218 to 1221 that achieved military victories but failed when dissension arose over accepting the terms they had been offered |
| first crusade | (n) a Crusade from 1096 to 1099; captured Jerusalem and created a theocracy there |
| fourth crusade | (n) a Crusade from 1202 to 1204 that was diverted into a battle for Constantinople and failed to recapture Jerusalem |
| international islamic front for jihad against jews and crusaders | (n) a terrorist group organized by Osama bin Laden in 1998 that provided an umbrella organization for al-Qaeda and other militant groups in Egypt and Algeria and Pakistan and Bangladesh |
| second crusade | (n) a Crusade from 1145 to 1147 that failed because of internal disagreements among the crusaders and led to the loss of Jerusalem in 1187 |
| seventh crusade | (n) a Crusade initiated in 1248 after the loss of Jerusalem in 1244 and defeated in 1249 |
| sixth crusade | (n) a Crusade from 1228 to 1229 led by the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II who fell ill and was excommunicated by the Pope; by negotiation Frederick II was able to crown himself king of Jerusalem |
| third crusade | (n) a Crusade from 1189 to 1192 led by Richard I and the king of France that failed because an army torn by dissensions and fighting on foreign soil could not succeed against forces united by religious zeal |
| campaign | (n) a series of actions advancing a principle or tending toward a particular end, Syn. cause, effort, drive, movement, crusade, Example: he supported populist campaigns; they worked in the cause of world peace; the team was ready for a drive toward the pennant; the movement to end slavery; contributed to the war effort |
| reformer | (n) a disputant who advocates reform, Syn. crusader, reformist, meliorist, social reformer |
| youth movement | (n) political or religious or social reform movement or agitation consisting chiefly of young people, Syn. youth crusade |
| Crusade | 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 ] |
| Crusade | 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 ] |
| Crusader | 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 ] |
