Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary - croce

 biographical name Benedetto 1866-1952 Italian philosopher & statesman CROCHET  I. noun  Etymology: French, hook, ~, from Middle French, diminutive of croche hook, of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Norse krokr hook  Date: 1844 needlework consisting of the interlocking of looped stitches formed with a single thread and a hooked needle  II. verb  Date: 1854  transitive verb to make of ~ ~ed a doily  intransitive verb to work with ~  • ~er noun