sign of the cross

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.

sign of the cross

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

sign of the cross

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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of sign of the cross¹

Middle English word dating back to 1250–1300