Phrase guide

sign of the cross

noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

noun

Meaning 1

A gesture of the hand moving over the front of one's body, or over an object, in the shape of a cross made as part of ritual or to invoke divine protection.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: Christianity

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

Alternative form of sign of the cross.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: alt-of, alternative

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

a gesture with the right hand moving to form a cross; used by Catholics as a profession of faith

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: gesture, motion

History

Etymology

A calque translation of Latin signum crucis.

Across languages

Translations

33 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Old Armenian: կնիք (knikʻ) — gesture
  • Chinese Mandarin: 十字聖號 /十字圣号 (shízì shènghào) — gesture
  • Chinese Mandarin: 聖號 /圣号 (shènghào) — gesture
  • Czech: křížování — gesture
  • Czech: znamení kříže — gesture
  • Danish: korsets tegn — gesture
  • Dutch: kruisteken — gesture
  • Finnish: ristinmerkki — gesture
  • French: signe de croix — gesture
  • German: Kreuzzeichen — gesture
  • German: Bekreuzigung — gesture
  • Greek: σταυρός (stavrós) — gesture
  • Hungarian: keresztvetés — gesture
  • Ido: krucosigno — gesture
  • Irish: comhartha na croise — gesture
  • Irish: fíor na croise — gesture
  • Italian: segno della croce — gesture
  • Latin: signum crucis — gesture
  • Norwegian Bokmål: korstegnet — gesture
  • Old English: rōde tācn — gesture
  • Polish: znak krzyża — gesture
  • Portuguese: sinal da cruz — gesture
  • Russian: кре́стное зна́мение (kréstnoje známenije) — gesture
  • Spanish: santiguamiento — gesture
  • Spanish: señal de la cruz — gesture
  • Swahili: ishara ya msalaba — gesture
  • Swedish: korstecken — gesture
  • Tagalog: antanda — gesture
  • Turkish: istavroz — gesture
  • Ottoman Turkish: خاچ (haç) — gesture
  • Ukrainian: хресне знамення (xresne znamennja) — gesture
  • Ukrainian: знак хреста (znak xresta) — gesture
  • Vietnamese: dấu Thánh Giá — gesture