Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun An ordinary in the shape of a Saint Andrew's cross, formed by the crossing of a bend and a bend sinister.
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun See
saltier .
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun (Her.) A St. Andrew's cross, or cross in the form of an X, -- one of the honorable ordinaries.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun heraldry An
ordinary (geometric design) in the shape of an X. It usually occupies the entire field in which it is placed.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun a cross resembling the letter x, with diagonal bars of equal length
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
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Examples
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The flag of Scotland is known as the saltire pictured below or St. Andrews Cross.
Telegraph.co.uk - Telegraph online, Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph Hannah Furness 2012
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The flag of Scotland is known as the saltire pictured below or St. Andrews Cross. thistle.
Telegraph.co.uk - Telegraph online, Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph Hannah Furness 2012
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"The saltire is our flag as much as anybody else's.
Politics news, UK and world political comment and analysis | guardian.co.uk 2009
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Doing their bit were Allan Rennie and Sarah O'Callaghan, a saltire over their knees and a late-morning Pimms in hand.
Andy Murray fans dared to dream of an unlikely win over Rafael Nadal 2011
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Doing their bit were Allan Rennie and Sarah O'Callaghan, a saltire over their knees and a late-morning Pimms in hand.
Andy Murray fans dared to dream of an unlikely win over Rafael Nadal 2011
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He has enjoyed many a dinner at Balmoral Castle and was invited to the royal wedding, unlike Gordon Brown or Tony Blair he wore a saltire tie.
Alex Salmond: Scotland's new superhero | Observer profile 2011
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And the saltire was regared as somwhere between the Swastika and the Confederate flag as a fashion icon.
A Scottish Labour Party PPB I thought we'd never see. You dont need to agree with, but this is new ground, significant Alan Smart 2009
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Scottish Labour is reclaiming the saltire, I think no bad thing, a sign how the "centre" has moved in the direction of nationalism.
A Scottish Labour Party PPB I thought we'd never see. You dont need to agree with, but this is new ground, significant Alan Smart 2009
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This year, more than ever before, it is the saltire he has to bear.
Wimbledon 2010: Weight of Britain's expectation falls on Andy Murray 2010
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It isn't the saltire itself that's disturbing about this image.
John Terry’s sacking as England captain tells us something interesting... 2009
chained_bear commented on the word saltire
In heraldry, an ordinary in the form of a St. Andrew's cross, formed by a bend and a bend sinister, crossing each other; also, a cross having this shape. Hence, in saltire: crossed like the limbs of a St. Andrew's cross.
Usage: When the field of a coat, or any charge upon it, is divided by two diagonal lines, crossing each other,..it is termed per saltier. (1828-1840 Encyclopedia of Heraldry).
February 5, 2007
arby commented on the word saltire
I like this word because it reminds me of Saltines (tm) but it's weird and old and obscure instead of a common brand name. Why that should make me like it I don't know.
Yes, my brain is a strange place to be.
May 4, 2007
seanahan commented on the word saltire
mmm, Saltines, my favoritest crackers.
May 6, 2007
uselessness commented on the word saltire
Should be a portmanteau of salty and satire. The preferred language of sarcastic pirates.
May 7, 2007
bilby commented on the word saltire
Often the Scottish flag to is referred to as a saltire.
"The Scottish Government decides to celebrate St Andrew's Day - and shoots itself in the foot by ordering 3,000 saltires from Taiwan." - Editorial, The Scottish Sun, 19 November 2007
November 20, 2007
knitandpurl commented on the word saltire
"Leaning against the wall to the right of this were two dark beams, crossed, beaten together at their centres to look like a great "X"; he imagined these forming part of a framework used in the cutting of wood. Resting against this rotten saltire were the remnants of a dilapidated door, upon which were quivering the flakes of a cream-coloured varnish with which the door must once have been painted; the door's centre panel still bore a brass handle."
The Golden Age by Michal Ajvaz, translated by Andrew Oakland, p 75 of the Dalkey Archive paperback
June 11, 2011
hernesheir commented on the word saltire
saltier
October 3, 2011