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crozier

crozier

1 9.9
A staff with a curved top carried by a bishop to show their role in the church
  • noun
  • /ˈkroʊʒər/
  • Formal
translation icon : crosier
  • At the cathedral, the crozier was displayed as a symbol of the bishop's office.
  • the bishop's crozier

Examples

  • I give her back to you more than freely, gladly!" The bishop used his crozier in the same style that Margaret had used her broom to shoo away unwanted visitors.

    Fiction book (2000)
  • Photograph: Lisa Crozier.

    Academic text (2004)
  • Bishop Wolf, the 12th Bishop of RI, passes the crozier to

    Blog text (1)
  • Chief Inspector Crozier.

  • He stood between the elven host and the bulky fortress of his faith, gilded crozier in hand, as if to offer them battle.

    Fiction book (2000)
  • The bishop held his crozier high during the ceremony to symbolize his authority.

  • During the procession, the archbishop carried a beautifully decorated crozier adorned with jewels.

Synonyms

verge
vscrozier
  • Archaic
1 9.9

A long decorated stick carried to show someone's authority

is used by bishops as a curved pastoral symbol not a general authority staff
crosier
vscrozier
  • Formal
1 9.9

A staff with a curved top that a bishop carries as a sign of office

is the same symbol but written with a different traditional spelling
ferula
vscrozier
  • Formal
9.9

A staff carried by a bishop or the pope as a sign of their position

is the curved-top pastoral staff rather than a general episcopal staff
king's sceptre
vscrozier
  • UK
8.6

A decorated staff that a king holds to show power

is a church leader's curved pastoral staff rather than a royal symbol

Compounds

9.9

A ceremonial strap attached to a bishop's staff that shows their authority in church services

Surface Forms

crozier singular
croziers plural

Etymology

Crozier comes from an old French word for a 'curved staff' and is like the everyday word crook, the hooked stick used by shepherds. That's why a bishop's crozier looks like a shepherd's hook: it is a sign of being the 'shepherd' of a church.