An
obsolete word, now supplanted by
crusade, from the
french croiser, to grow (also the root of
croissant, a crescent, or crescent-shaped pastry): a crusader's
campaign would be initiated in order to grow the territory or
influence of an existing
power, such as say, the church,
the slave trade, or
Belgium.
Warning: only parts of this are true. Webster 1913 is right. Go to Crusade.