St. Andrew's cross
- noun
- /seɪnt ˈændrʊz krɔs/
:
cruz de San Andrés
- The flag features a large St. Andrew's cross prominently displayed in the center.
- a St. Andrew's cross on blue
Examples
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The new design displayed the red and blue St. Andrew's cross on the outer two-thirds of the state flag, and the state seal containing the words "Wisdom, Justice, and Moderation" appeared on the remaining one-third.
Academic text (2008) -
In heraldry, the St. Andrew's cross represents Scotland and is often seen on national flags.
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The committee recommended that the state remove the St. Andrew's cross design from the flag.
Academic text (2008) -
We have St. Andrew's cross a little east of Austin, but I've rarely seen it.
Blog text (31) -
The original battle flag adopted by the Army of Northern Virginia during the Civil War was square and featured a blue St. Andrew's cross on a red background with thirteen stars, but the Confederate States of America flew three national flags, two of which incorporated the battle design.
Academic text (2008) -
During the ceremony, a St. Andrew's cross was raised to honor the saint's legacy.
Synonyms
A cross in the shape of an X used on flags and shields
An X-shaped cross used as a design on shields or flags
Surface Forms
Morphology
St. + Andrew's + cross
Knowing 'St.' (Saint), the proper name 'Andrew' and 'cross' allows a learner to infer this is a cross associated with Saint Andrew, so the basic relation is transparent. However the specific information that it is an X-shaped heraldic symbol (the saltire) requires cultural/encyclopedic knowledge not deducible from the parts, so the expression is only partially predictable.
Etymology
The name St. Andrew's cross comes from a story about Saint Andrew, who was said to have been tied to an 'X'-shaped cross, so the letter X became connected to his name. That's why the X shape is called St. Andrew's cross and is used as a symbol on flags and road signs.
