sign of the cross

American  

noun

1. a movement of the hand to indicate a cross, as from forehead to breast and left shoulder to right or, in the Eastern Orthodox Church, from right shoulder to left.

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sign of the cross British  

noun

1. RC Church a gesture in which the right hand is moved from the forehead to the breast and from the left shoulder to the right to describe the form of a cross in order to invoke the grace of Christ

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sign of the cross Cultural  

1. A ritual gesture common in the Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox Church, and Anglican Communion, made at the beginning and end of prayer as a reminder of Jesus' death on the cross. Worshipers make the sign by touching first the forehead, then the breast, and then each shoulder in turn, thus tracing in the air the shape of a cross.

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Etymology

Origin of sign of the cross

Middle English word dating back to 1250–1300

Example Sentences

Granda put the sign of the cross on her forehead with his thumb.

From Literature

As they viewed the remains laid out on a white silk sheet, many pilgrims made the sign of the cross, others kneeled down.

From Barron's

Mrs. Dithers says my name and actually makes the sign of the cross over her chest.

From Literature

I made the sign of the cross, offered a short prayer, then drove back home.

From Los Angeles Times

Biden “makes the sign of the cross at public events, and his Catholicism is woven into his speeches and policies.”

From Salon