Maltese cross

American  

noun

1. a cross having four equal arms that expand in width outward.

2. scarlet lychnis.

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Maltese cross British  

noun

1. a cross with triangular arms that taper towards the centre, sometimes having indented outer sides: formerly worn by the Knights of Malta

2. (in a film projector) a cam mechanism of this shape that produces intermittent motion

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Etymology

Origin of Maltese cross

First recorded in 1875–80

Example Sentences

A truly ancient sapphire, St. Edward’s, is at the center of the Maltese cross on top.

From Los Angeles Times • May 3, 2023

The gem, which has Maltese cross faceted at its base, was first sold by Christie's in 1918 at a London auction where residents sold precious household items to help the war effort.

From Reuters • May 6, 2022

Theirs was the Maltese cross, and theirs, too, the Maltese falcon — the bird being, in fact, the Knights’ annual tribute to the Emperor in return for tenure on the islands of Malta and Gozo.

From New York Times • Nov. 30, 2017

Its dockside crafts market displays many items bearing the eight-pointed Maltese cross.

From Washington Post • Aug. 24, 2017

The stem carries figures of the four Evangelists and other saints, and rests on an elaborately-carved plinth, the upper part of which is in the form of a Maltese cross.

From Ecclesiastical Curiosities by Various