SAINT

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does saint mean? 

• SAINT (noun)
  The noun SAINT has 3 senses:

1. a person who has died and has been declared a saint by canonization

2. person of exceptional holiness

3. model of excellence or perfection of a kind; one having no equal

  Familiarity information: SAINT used as a noun is uncommon.

• SAINT (verb)
  The verb SAINT has 2 senses:

1. hold sacred

2. declare (a dead person) to be a saint

  Familiarity information: SAINT used as a verb is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• SAINT (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A person who has died and has been declared a saint by canonization

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Hypernyms ("saint" is a kind of...):

deity; divinity; god; immortal (any supernatural being worshipped as controlling some part of the world or some aspect of life or who is the personification of a force)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "saint"):

patron saint (a saint who is considered to be a defender of some group or nation)

Instance hyponyms:

Luke; Saint Luke; St. Luke ((New Testament) the Apostle closely associated with St. Paul and traditionally assumed to be the author of the third Gospel)

James; Saint James; Saint James the Apostle; St. James; St. James the Apostle ((New Testament) disciple of Jesus; brother of John; author of the Epistle of James in the New Testament)

Louis IX; Saint Louis; St. Louis (king of France and son of Louis VIII; he led two unsuccessful Crusades; considered an ideal medieval king (1214-1270))

Leo I; Leo the Great; St. Leo I (Italian pope from 440 to 461 who extended the authority of the papacy to the west and persuaded Attila not to attack Rome (440-461))

Laurentius; Lawrence; Saint Lawrence; St. Lawrence (Roman martyr; supposedly Lawrence was ordered by the police to give up the church's treasure and when he responded by presenting the poor people of Rome he was roasted to death on a gridiron (died in 258))

Judas; Jude; Saint Jude; St. Jude; Thaddaeus ((New Testament) supposed brother of St. James; one of the Apostles who is invoked in prayer when a situation seems hopeless)

John the Baptist; St. John the Baptist ((New Testament) a preacher and hermit and forerunner of Jesus (whom he baptized); was beheaded by Herod at the request of Salome)

John Chrysostom; St. John Chrysostom ((Roman Catholic Church) a Church Father who was a great preacher and bishop of Constantinople; a saint and Doctor of the Church (347-407))

John; John the Divine; John the Evangelist; Saint John; Saint John the Apostle; St. John; St. John the Apostle ((New Testament) disciple of Jesus; traditionally said to be the author of the 4th Gospel and three epistles and the book of Revelation)

Eusebius Hieronymus; Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus; Hieronymus; Jerome; Saint Jerome; St. Jerome ((Roman Catholic Church) one of the great Fathers of the early Christian Church whose major work was his translation of the Scriptures from Hebrew and Greek into Latin (which became the Vulgate); a saint and Doctor of the Church (347-420))

St. Vitus; Vitus (Christian martyr and patron of those who suffer from epilepsy and Sydenham's chorea (died around 300))

Mark; Saint Mark; St. Mark (Apostle and companion of Saint Peter; assumed to be the author of the second Gospel)

Martin; St. Martin (French bishop who is a patron saint of France (died in 397))

Mary Magdalen; Mary Magdalene; St. Mary Magdalen; St. Mary Magdalene (sinful woman Jesus healed of evil spirits; she became a follower of Jesus)

Levi; Matthew; Saint Matthew; Saint Matthew the Apostle; St. Matthew; St. Matthew the Apostle ((New Testament) disciple of Jesus; traditionally considered to be the author of the first Gospel)

Nicholas; Saint Nicholas; St. Nicholas (a bishop in Asia Minor who is associated with Santa Claus (4th century))

Olaf II; Olav II; Saint Olaf; Saint Olav; St. Olaf; St. Olav (King and patron saint of Norway (995-1030))

Apostle of the Gentiles; Apostle Paul; Paul; Paul the Apostle; Saint Paul; Saul; Saul of Tarsus; St. Paul ((New Testament) a Christian missionary to the Gentiles; author of several Epistles in the New Testament; even though Paul was not present at the Last Supper he is considered an Apostle)

Peter; Saint Peter; Saint Peter the Apostle; Simon Peter; St. Peter; St. Peter the Apostle (disciple of Jesus and leader of the Apostles; regarded by Catholics as the vicar of Christ on earth and first Pope)

Simon; Simon the Canaanite; Simon the Zealot; Simon Zelotes; St. Simon (one of the twelve Apostles (first century))

Saint Teresa of Avila; Teresa of Avila (Spanish mystic and religious reformer; author of religious classics and a Christian saint (1515-1582))

doubting Thomas; Saint Thomas; St. Thomas; Thomas; Thomas the doubting Apostle (the Apostle who would not believe the resurrection of Jesus until he saw Jesus with his own eyes)

Ignatius of Loyola; Loyola; Saint Ignatius of Loyola; St. Ignatius of Loyola (Spaniard and Roman Catholic theologian and founder of the Society of Jesus; a leading opponent of the Reformation (1491-1556))

Ambrose; Saint Ambrose; St. Ambrose ((Roman Catholic Church) Roman priest who became bishop of Milan; the first Church Father born and raised in the Christian faith; composer of hymns; imposed orthodoxy on the early Christian church and built up its secular power; a saint and Doctor of the Church (340?-397))

Andrew; Saint Andrew; Saint Andrew the Apostle; St. Andrew ((New Testament) disciple of Jesus; brother of Peter; patron saint of Scotland)

Anselm; Saint Anselm; St. Anselm (an Italian who was a Benedictine monk; was archbishop of Canterbury from 1093 to 1109; one of the founders of scholasticism; best known for his proof of the existence of God)

Aquinas; Saint Thomas; Saint Thomas Aquinas; St. Thomas; St. Thomas Aquinas; Thomas Aquinas ((Roman Catholic Church) Italian theologian and Doctor of the Church who is remembered for his attempt to reconcile faith and reason in a comprehensive theology; presented philosophical proofs of the existence of God (1225-1274))

Athanasius; Athanasius the Great; Saint Athanasius; St. Athanasius ((Roman Catholic Church) Greek patriarch of Alexandria who championed Christian orthodoxy against Arianism; a church father, saint, and Doctor of the Church (293-373))

Augustine; Augustine of Hippo; Saint Augustine; St. Augustine ((Roman Catholic Church) one of the great Fathers of the early Christian church; after a dramatic conversion to Christianity he became bishop of Hippo Regius in North Africa; St. Augustine emphasized man's need for grace (354-430))

Basil; Basil of Caesarea; Basil the Great; St. Basil; St. Basil the Great ((Roman Catholic Church) the bishop of Caesarea who defended the Roman Catholic Church against the heresies of the 4th century; a saint and Doctor of the Church (329-379))

Becket; Saint Thomas a Becket; St. Thomas a Becket; Thomas a Becket ((Roman Catholic Church) archbishop of Canterbury from 1162 to 1170; murdered following his opposition to Henry II's attempts to control the clergy (1118-1170))

Baeda; Beda; Bede; Saint Baeda; Saint Beda; Saint Bede; St. Baeda; St. Beda; St. Bede; the Venerable Bede ((Roman Catholic Church) English monk and scholar (672-735))

Benedict; Saint Benedict; St. Benedict (Italian monk who founded the Benedictine order about 540 (480-547))

Apostle of Germany; Boniface; Saint Boniface; St. Boniface; Winfred; Wynfrith ((Roman Catholic Church) Anglo-Saxon missionary who was sent to Frisia and Germany to spread the Christian faith; was martyred in Frisia (680-754))

Bride; Bridget; Brigid; Saint Bride; Saint Bridget; Saint Brigid; St. Bride; St. Bridget; St. Brigid (Irish abbess; a patron saint of Ireland (453-523))

Bruno; Saint Bruno; St. Bruno ((Roman Catholic Church) a French cleric (born in Germany) who founded the Carthusian order in 1084 (1032-1101))

Domingo de Guzman; Dominic; Saint Dominic; St. Dominic ((Roman Catholic Church) Spanish priest who founded an order whose members became known as Dominicans or Black Friars (circa 1170-1221))

Edward the Confessor; Saint Edward the Confessor; St. Edward the Confessor (son of Ethelred the Unready; King of England from 1042 to 1066; he founded Westminster Abbey where he was eventually buried (1003-1066))

Edward the Martyr; Saint Edward the Martyr; St. Edward the Martyr (King of England who was a son of Edgar; he was challenged for the throne by supporters of his half-brother Ethelred II who eventually murdered him (963-978))

Francis of Assisi; Giovanni di Bernardone; Saint Francis; Saint Francis of Assisi; St. Francis; St. Francis of Assisi ((Roman Catholic Church) an Italian and the Roman Catholic monk who founded the Franciscan order of friars (1181-1226))

Gregory; Gregory I; Gregory the Great; Saint Gregory I; St. Gregory I ((Roman Catholic Church) an Italian pope distinguished for his spiritual and temporal leadership; a saint and Doctor of the Church (540?-604))

Gregory; Gregory Nazianzen; Gregory of Nazianzen; St. Gregory of Nazianzen ((Roman Catholic Church) a church father known for his constant fight against perceived heresies; a saint and Doctor of the Church (329-391))

Ignatius; Saint Ignatius; St. Ignatius (bishop of Antioch who was martyred under the Roman Emperor Trajan (died 110))

Irenaeus; Saint Irenaeus; St. Irenaeus (Greek theologian who was bishop of Lyons and an antiheretical writer; a saint and Doctor of the Church (circa 130-200))

Holonyms ("saint" is a member of...):

sainthood (saints collectively)

Derivation:

saint (declare (a dead person) to be a saint)

sainthood (the status and dignity of a saint)

sainthood (saints collectively)

saintly (marked by utter benignity; resembling or befitting an angel or saint)

sanctify (render holy by means of religious rites)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Person of exceptional holiness

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Synonyms:

angel; holy man; holy person; saint

Hypernyms ("saint" is a kind of...):

good person (a person who is good to other people)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "saint"):

Buddha (one who has achieved a state of perfect enlightenment)

fakeer; fakir; faqir; faquir (a Muslim or Hindu mendicant monk who is regarded as a holy man)

Derivation:

sainthood (the status and dignity of a saint)

sainthood (saints collectively)

saintly (marked by utter benignity; resembling or befitting an angel or saint)

sanctify (make pure or free from sin or guilt)

sanctify (render holy by means of religious rites)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Model of excellence or perfection of a kind; one having no equal

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Synonyms:

apotheosis; ideal; nonesuch; nonpareil; nonsuch; paragon; saint

Hypernyms ("saint" is a kind of...):

model; role model (someone worthy of imitation)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "saint"):

class act (someone who shows impressive and stylish excellence)

humdinger (someone of remarkable excellence)

crackerjack; jimdandy; jimhickey (someone excellent of their kind)

Derivation:

sainthood (the status and dignity of a saint)

sanctify (make pure or free from sin or guilt)

• SAINT (verb)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Hold sacred

Classified under:

Verbs of feeling

Synonyms:

enshrine; saint

Hypernyms (to "saint" is one way to...):

fear; revere; reverence; venerate (regard with feelings of respect and reverence; consider hallowed or exalted or be in awe of)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sense 2

Meaning:

Declare (a dead person) to be a saint

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

canonise; canonize; saint

Context example:

After he was shown to have performed a miracle, the priest was canonized

Hypernyms (to "saint" is one way to...):

adjudge; declare; hold (declare to be)

Domain category:

faith; organized religion; religion (an institution to express belief in a divine power)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s somebody

Derivation:

saint (a person who has died and has been declared a saint by canonization)

 Context examples 

“May the saints be with you, good travellers!” he shouted, as the party rode up.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

But those saint's eyes alongside—they offered all he knew and more than he could guess.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

"I always said she was a little saint," added Meg, as if there could be no further doubt of it.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

She had helped Mrs. Shlessinger in the nursing of the convalescent saint.

(His Last Bow, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

God and the Blessed Virgin and the saints help a poor ignorant soul trying to do his duty....

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

How much of him was saint, how much mortal, I could not heretofore tell: but revelations were being made in this conference: the analysis of his nature was proceeding before my eyes.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

Then he was given a lodge to keep, exactly as he had feared upon the island; and he still lives, a great favourite, though something of a butt, with the country boys, and a notable singer in church on Sundays and saints' days.

(Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson)

—‘All is vanity and vexation of spirit,’ ‘There is no profit under the sun,’ ‘There is one event unto all,’ to the fool and the wise, the clean and the unclean, the sinner and the saint, and that event is death, and an evil thing, he says.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

As for Colonel Brandon, she was not only ready to worship him as a saint, but was moreover truly anxious that he should be treated as one in all worldly concerns; anxious that his tithes should be raised to the utmost; and scarcely resolved to avail herself, at Delaford, as far as she possibly could, of his servants, his carriage, his cows, and his poultry.

(Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen)

“One more fall, by all the saints!” he cried, throwing out his arms.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)