A ceremonial staff with a curved or crook-shaped head, carried by bishops and abbots as a symbol of pastoral authority in Christian churches.
From Old French 'crossier' (one who carries a cross) or from 'crosse' (staff with a crook), ultimately from Latin 'crocia', which may derive from Greek, representing a shepherd's staff repurposed as a religious symbol.
The crosier's crook shape deliberately mirrors a shepherd's staff, connecting Christian leaders to the idea of 'shepherding' their flock—this metaphor is so powerful that 'pastor' itself comes from Latin for 'shepherd,' showing how language embeds theological ideas.
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