cruz
n. countablen. a historical gold or silver coin from Portugal or Brazil. It usually has a cross on it, which is where the name comes from.
n. a former monetary unit and coin of Portugal and Brazil, typically bearing the image of a cross. The term is derived from the Portuguese word for cross.
The museum displays a rare gold cruz from the eighteenth century.
Archaeologists discovered several silver cruz coins buried near the old port city.
The circulation of the cruz facilitated maritime trade across the Portuguese Empire before it was eventually superseded by more modern currency systems.
From Romance (Portuguese Cruz and Spanish Cruz).
Derived from Ibaloi kurus (“the hanging of horns of sacrificed animals”), wherein it took place in the area.
Often appears in historical or numismatic contexts; when referring to the currency of Brazil from 1942–1986, it is spelled 'cruzeiro'.