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Glite Dictionary
🧥 A French saint 🏝️ A Caribbean island
St. Martin

St. Martin

6.3
A Christian bishop from the 4th century known for sharing his cloak with a beggar
  • proper noun
translation icon : San Martín
  • St. Martin is often depicted sharing his cloak with a beggar in religious art.

Examples

  • The feast of St. Martin is celebrated on November 11th each year.

  • Many churches in Europe are named after St. Martin in honor of his charitable deeds.

  • Did you know that St. Martin was a soldier before becoming a bishop?

  • The story of St. Martin sharing his cloak is very famous.

  • St. Martin is celebrated for his legendary act of compassion towards a poor man, sharing his warm cloak with him.

  • Numerous towns and cities in France commemorate St. Martin for his dedication to helping the needy.

  • On his feast day, many families honor St. Martin by donating to local charities in his name.

Synonyms

Martin
vsSt. Martin
∞ 5.6

A Christian bishop from France in the 300s known for sharing his coat with a poor man

has identical meaning but uses the shorter traditional name
Martin of Tours
vsSt. Martin
8.8

A French bishop from the 300s who became a Christian saint and patron of France

means the same but prefers the devotional title without dates

Surface Forms

St. Martin main

Morphology

St. + Martin

The form 'St. Martin' transparently indicates 'Saint Martin' and signals a proper name; a B1 learner who knows 'Saint' and 'Martin' will recognize it as a name (often used for places named after a saint). However, the precise referent and extra information (that it is an island in the Caribbean and jointly administered by France and the Netherlands) cannot be inferred from the constituents alone, so the meaning is only partially predictable.

Etymology

St. Martin comes from a famous story about a soldier who cut his cloak in half to share with a cold beggar. That's why St. Martin is remembered for 'kindness' and charity and why many churches use his name.