Saint Andrew's cross. (a) A cross shaped like the letter X. See
Illust. 4, under Cross. (b) (Bot.) A low North American shrub (Ascyrum
Crux-Andreæ, the petals of which have the form of a Saint Andrew's
cross. Gray. -- Saint Anthony's cross, a T-shaped cross. See Illust. 6,
under Cross. -- Saint Anthony's fire, the erysipelas; -- popularly so
called because it was supposed to have been cured by the intercession
of Saint Anthony. -- Saint Anthony's nut (Bot.), the groundnut (Bunium
flexuosum); -- so called because swine feed on it, and St. Anthony
was once a swineherd. Dr. Prior. -- Saint Anthony's turnip (Bot.),
the bulbous crowfoot, a favorite food of swine. Dr. Prior. -- Saint
Barnaby's thistle (Bot.), a kind of knapweed (Centaurea solstitialis)
flowering on St. Barnabas's Day, June 11th. Dr. Prior. -- Saint Bernard
(Zoöl.), a breed of large, handsome dogs celebrated for strength and
sagacity, formerly bred chiefly at the Hospice of St. Bernard in
Switzerland, but now common in Europe and America. There are two races,
the smooth-haired and the rough-haired. See Illust. under Dog. -- Saint
Catharine's flower (Bot.), the plant love-in-a-mist. See under Love.
-- Saint Cuthbert's beads (Paleon.), the fossil joints of crinoid
stems. -- Saint Dabeoc's heath (Bot.), a heatherlike plant (Dabœcia
polifolia), named from an Irish saint. -- Saint Distaff's Day. See
under Distaff. -- Saint Elmo's fire, a luminous, flamelike appearance,
sometimes seen in dark, tempestuous nights, at some prominent point
on a ship, particularly at the masthead and the yardarms. It has also
been observed on land, and is due to the discharge of electricity from
elevated or pointed objects. A single flame is called a Helena, or a
Corposant; a double, or twin, flame is called a Castor and Pollux, or
a double Corposant. It takes its name from St. Elmo, the patron saint
of sailors. -- Saint George's cross (Her.), a Greek cross gules upon a
field argent, the field being represented by a narrow fimbriation in
the ensign, or union jack, of Great Britain. -- Saint George's ensign,
a red cross on a white field with a union jack in the upper corner
next the mast. It is the distinguishing badge of ships of the royal
navy of England; -- called also the white ensign. Brande & C. -- Saint
George's flag, a smaller flag resembling the ensign, but without the
union jack; used as the sign of the presence and command of an admiral.
[Eng.] Brande & C. -- Saint Gobain glass (Chem.), a fine variety of
soda-lime plate glass, so called from St. Gobain in France, where it
was manufactured. -- Saint Ignatius's bean (Bot.), the seed of a tree
of the Philippines (Strychnos Ignatia), of properties similar to the
nux vomica. -- Saint James's shell (Zoöl.), a pecten (Vola Jacobæus)
worn by pilgrims to the Holy Land. See Illust. under Scallop. -- Saint
James's-wort (Bot.), a kind of ragwort (Senecio Jacobæa). -- Saint
John's bread. (Bot.) See Carob. -- Saint John's-wort (Bot.), any plant
of the genus Hypericum, most species of which have yellow flowers;
-- called also John's-wort. -- Saint Leger, the name of a race for
three-year-old horses run annually in September at Doncaster, England;
-- instituted in 1776 by Col. St. Leger. -- Saint Martin's herb (Bot.),
a small tropical American violaceous plant (Sauvagesia erecta). It is
very mucilaginous and is used in medicine. -- Saint Martin's summer, a
season of mild, damp weather frequently prevailing during late autumn
in England and the Mediterranean countries; -- so called from St.
Martin's Festival, occurring on November 11. It corresponds to the
Indian summer in America. Shak. Whittier. -- Saint Patrick's cross.
See Illust. 4, under Cross. -- Saint Patrick's Day, the 17th of March,
anniversary of the death (about 466) of St. Patrick, the apostle and
patron saint of Ireland. -- Saint Peter's fish. (Zoöl.) See John Dory,
under John. -- Saint Peter's-wort (Bot.), a name of several plants,
as Hypericum Ascyron, H. quadrangulum, Ascyrum stans, etc. -- Saint
Peter's wreath (Bot.), a shrubby kind of Spiræa (S. hypericifolia),
having long slender branches covered with clusters of small white
blossoms in spring. -- Saint's bell. See Sanctus bell, under Sanctus.
-- Saint Vitus's dance (Med.), chorea; -- so called from the supposed
cures wrought on intercession to this saint.
Saint (snt), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Sainted; p. pr. & vb. n. Sainting.] To
make a saint of; to enroll among the saints by an offical act, as of
the pope; to canonize; to give the title or reputation of a saint to
(some one).
A large hospital, erected by a shoemaker who has been beatified,
though never sainted.
Addison.
To saint it, to act as a saint, or with a show of piety.
Whether the charmer sinner it or saint it.
Pope.
Saint, v. i. To act or live as a saint. [R.] Shak.
Saint"dom (-dm), n. The state or character of a saint. [R.] Tennyson.
Saint"ed, a. 1. Consecrated; sacred; holy; pious. "A most sainted
king." Shak.
Amongst the enthroned gods on sainted seats.
Milton.