CROSS-BEARER, noun In the Romish church, the chaplain of an archbishop or primate, who bears a cross before him on solemn occasions. Also, a certain officer in the inquisition, who makes a vow before the inquisitors to defend the Catholic faith, though with the loss of fortune and life.
Source: Webster's 1828 American Dictionary ↗ · public-domain · returned verbatim, no AI