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Saint Lawrence

Saint Lawrence

7.4
A Christian deacon who was killed for his faith in the third century after helping the poor
  • proper noun
  • NSFW
translation icon : San Lorenzo
  • The feast of Saint Lawrence is celebrated on August 10 in the Catholic tradition.

Examples

  • Many churches across Europe are dedicated to Saint Lawrence in honor of his sacrifice.

  • Legends say that Saint Lawrence showed extraordinary courage when facing his execution.

  • Saint Lawrence was a martyr.

  • Did you know Saint Lawrence is the patron saint of cooks?

  • Saint Lawrence was known for his unwavering faith, even as he faced martyrdom by being roasted on a gridiron.

  • In the church, they celebrated the feast day of Saint Lawrence, honoring his sacrifice and dedication to the poor.

  • According to legend, Saint Lawrence famously declared that the poor were the true treasures of the Church.

Synonyms

St. Lawrence
vsSaint Lawrence
  • NSFW
8.6

A Christian from the third century who helped the poor and was roasted alive in Rome

is the full formal title for the same historical figure
Lawrence of Rome
vsSaint Lawrence
  • NSFW
9.9

A Christian killed in 3rd century Rome by being roasted on a gridiron for giving church treasures to the poor

is the same person named with the full religious title rather than other forms

Surface Forms

Morphology

saint + Lawrence

This is a proper name: knowing 'saint' (a holy person) and 'Lawrence' (a personal name) only indicates the name is derived from a saint, not that it denotes a major river. A B1 learner could guess it names a person or place but would not be able to derive the specific referent type (a river) from the constituents alone, so the meaning is not compositional.

Etymology

Saint Lawrence comes from a 3rd-century church official who, one popular story says, was roasted on a metal grill after he showed that the church's real 'treasures' were the poor. Because of his brave death and care for the poor, people remember him as a 'saint'.