Saint Christopher
- proper noun
:
San Cristóbal
- Did you know that Saint Christopher is the patron saint of travelers?
Examples
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Many people carry a medal of Saint Christopher for protection while traveling.
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Legend says that Saint Christopher once carried a child, who was Christ in disguise, across a dangerous river.
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Many people wear a Saint Christopher medal for protection during their journeys.
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Travelers often invoke Saint Christopher for safety before setting out on long trips.
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Many people wear a Saint Christopher medal for protection during their journeys.
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Travelers often invoke Saint Christopher for safety before setting out on long trips.
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Did you know that Saint Christopher is the patron saint of travelers?
Synonyms
942
6.7
A Christian saint often shown carrying the Christ child across a river
A Christian saint believed to protect travellers who carried a child across a river
Surface Forms
Morphology
saint + Christopher
Combining 'saint' (a holy person) with the proper name 'Christopher' makes it clear to a learner that this refers to a saint called Christopher, so the basic referential meaning is compositional and cross-linguistically common. However, the specific cultural/historical senses (3rd-century martyr; patron saint of travelers) are encyclopedic knowledge not predictable from the constituents, so the full meaning is not derivable by a B1 learner.
Etymology
Legend says Saint Christopher once carried a child across a dangerous river, and the child was Christ, so Christopher means 'Christ-bearer' and he became the 'patron saint of travelers'.