Synonyms

sign of the cross

American

noun

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 British

noun

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

"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

sign of the cross Cultural

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.

Etymology

Origin of sign of the cross

Middle English word dating back to 1250–1300

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.

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

“It was only thanks to God that I survived,” he exclaims, furiously making the sign of the cross three times.

From BBC

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