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Glite Dictionary
Greek cross

Greek cross

5.6
A cross with four arms that are the same length used in Christian art and church buildings
  • noun
translation icon : cruz griega
  • In Christian art, the Greek cross represents faith, featuring arms of equal length positioned symmetrically.

Examples

  • The answer may lie in the fact that although the clover-leaf pattern may already have acquired its Christian Trinity symbolism (revealed in St. Patrick's shamrock), the trefoil was not confused with the equal-armed Greek cross, which was an entirely different symbol.

    Academic text (2000)

  • Assembled in Havana's Plaza de San Francisco, one of the city's original sixteenth-century public spaces, the Fountain of the Lions consists of an octagonal basin situated on a stepped platform with a fountain base shaped like a Greek cross.

    Academic text (2013)

  • We cannot dismiss a link with the circle-cross-square combination evident in the Greek-cross plan of early Christian churches built at the other end of the empire in Armenia during the same fourth century.

    Academic text (2000)

  • At the top of the arch are two angels bearing a roundel of the Agnus Dei, the Lamb of Christ with a Greek-cross halo and a staff (Fig. 28).

    Academic text (2008)

  • The Greek cross is often found in the design of churches, symbolizing Christianity with its four equal arms.

  • Many historical buildings showcase the Greek cross as a prominent architectural feature in their layouts.

Synonyms

cross
vsGreek cross
293 4.0

A shape with a vertical piece and a horizontal piece used as a Christian sign

has four arms all equal in length forming a symmetrical centered shape

Surface Forms

Greek cross singular
Greek crosses plural

Morphology

Greek + cross

This is a straightforward adjective+noun composition: 'Greek' signals origin or style and 'cross' names the object, so a learner who knows both words will infer it is a kind of cross associated with Greece or Greek style. The precise technical detail (four arms of equal length) may be specialized, but the general meaning that it is a type of cross is directly derivable from the constituents.

Etymology

Greek cross is a cross with four equal arms that look like a plus sign. One popular reason for the name is that this even-armed cross was used a lot in eastern churches where people spoke Greek, so people called it the 'Greek' cross and today the name means that 'shape'.