A Christian warrior who participated in the medieval military expeditions to recover the Holy Land from Muslim control. Crusaders were motivated by religious devotion, promises of spiritual rewards, and often material gain.
From Old French 'croisé' meaning 'marked with a cross,' derived from Latin 'crux' (cross). The term emerged in the 11th century when participants in these holy wars sewed cross symbols onto their clothing as a sign of their sacred mission.
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