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saltire

[sal-teer, -tahyuhr, sawl-]

noun

Heraldry.
  1. an ordinary in the form of a cross with arms running diagonally from the dexter chief to the sinister base and from the sinister chief to the dexter base; St. Andrew's cross.



saltire

/ ˈsɔːlˌtaɪə /

noun

  1. heraldry an ordinary consisting of a diagonal cross on a shield

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Word History and Origins

Origin of saltire1

1350–1400; Middle English sawtire < Middle French sautoir crossed jumping bar < Medieval Latin saltātōrium something pertaining to jumping; saltant, -tory 2
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Word History and Origins

Origin of saltire1

C14 sawturoure, from Old French sauteour cross-shaped barricade, from saulter to jump, from Latin saltāre
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Idioms and Phrases

Idioms
  1. per saltire, diagonally in both directions.

    party per saltire.

  2. in saltire, (of charges) arranged in the form of a saltire.

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The streets were a sea of union jacks, St George's crosses, Scottish saltires and Welsh flags as large crowds of protesters amassed near Waterloo Bridge ahead of the 'Unite the Kingdom' march towards Whitehall.

From BBC

Council workers have been threatened while removing saltire flags from lampposts in parts of Scotland.

From BBC

The comments came after saltires were used at anti-immigration protests outside hotels used to house people in the asylum system, mimicking displays of St George's flags and union flags on England's streets.

From BBC

Despite the short list of names to go from Scotland to America's most popular sport, the saltire has been flown at the Super Bowl.

From BBC

The ring has a rectangular bezel which is decorated with a central raised panel design with two cross saltires formed from two inside lines and a transverse line forming an open V shape.

From BBC

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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