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Saint Barnaby's thistle

Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Saint \Saint\ (s[=a]nt), n. [F., fr. L. sanctus sacred, properly
   p. p. of sancire to render sacred by a religious act, to
   appoint as sacred; akin to sacer sacred. Cf. {Sacred},
   {Sanctity}, {Sanctum}, {Sanctus}.]
   1. A person sanctified; a holy or godly person; one eminent
      for piety and virtue; any true Christian, as being
      redeemed and consecrated to God.

            Them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to
            be saints.                            --1 Cor. i. 2.

   2. One of the blessed in heaven.

            Then shall thy saints, unmixed, and from the impure
            Far separate, circling thy holy mount, Unfeigned
            hallelujahs to thee sing.             --Milton.

   3. (Eccl.) One canonized by the church. [Abbrev. St.]

   {Saint Andrew's cross}.
      (a) A cross shaped like the letter X. See Illust. 4, under
          {Cross}.
      (b) (Bot.) A low North American shrub ({Ascyrum
          Crux-Andre[ae]}, the petals of which have the form of
          a Saint Andrew's cross. --Gray.

   {Saint Anthony's cross}, a T-shaped cross. See Illust. 6,
      under {Cross}.

   {Saint Anthony's fire}, the erysipelas; -- popularly so
      called because it was supposed to have been cured by the
      intercession of Saint Anthony.

   {Saint Anthony's nut} (Bot.), the groundnut ({Bunium
      flexuosum}); -- so called because swine feed on it, and
      St. Anthony was once a swineherd. --Dr. Prior.

   {Saint Anthony's turnip} (Bot.), the bulbous crowfoot, a
      favorite food of swine. --Dr. Prior.

   {Saint Barnaby's thistle} (Bot.), a kind of knapweed
      ({Centaurea solstitialis}) flowering on St. Barnabas's
      Day, June 11th. --Dr. Prior.

   {Saint Bernard} (Zo["o]l.), a breed of large, handsome dogs
      celebrated for strength and sagacity, formerly bred
      chiefly at the Hospice of St. Bernard in Switzerland, but
      now common in Europe and America. There are two races, the
      smooth-haired and the rough-haired. See Illust. under
      {Dog}.

   {Saint Catharine's flower} (Bot.), the plant love-in-a-mist.
      See under {Love}.

   {Saint Cuthbert's beads} (Paleon.), the fossil joints of
      crinoid stems.

   {Saint Dabeoc's heath} (Bot.), a heatherlike plant
      ({Dab[oe]cia polifolia}), named from an Irish saint.

   {Saint Distaff's Day}. See under {Distaff}.

   {Saint Elmo's fire}, a luminous, flamelike appearance,
      sometimes seen in dark, tempestuous nights, at some
      prominent point on a ship, particularly at the masthead
      and the yardarms. It has also been observed on land, and
      is due to the discharge of electricity from elevated or
      pointed objects. A single flame is called a {Helena}, or a
      {Corposant}; a double, or twin, flame is called a {Castor
      and Pollux}, or a {double Corposant}. It takes its name
      from St. Elmo, the patron saint of sailors.

   {Saint George's cross} (Her.), a Greek cross gules upon a
      field argent, the field being represented by a narrow
      fimbriation in the ensign, or union jack, of Great
      Britain.

   {Saint George's ensign}, a red cross on a white field with a
      union jack in the upper corner next the mast. It is the
      distinguishing badge of ships of the royal navy of
      England; -- called also {the white ensign}. --Brande & C.

   {Saint George's flag}, a smaller flag resembling the ensign,
      but without the union jack; used as the sign of the
      presence and command of an admiral. [Eng.] --Brande & C.

   {Saint Gobain glass} (Chem.), a fine variety of soda-lime
      plate glass, so called from St. Gobain in France, where it
      was manufactured.

   {Saint Ignatius's bean} (Bot.), the seed of a tree of the
      Philippines ({Strychnos Ignatia}), of properties similar
      to the nux vomica.

   {Saint James's shell} (Zo["o]l.), a pecten ({Vola
      Jacob[ae]us}) worn by pilgrims to the Holy Land. See
      Illust. under {Scallop}.

   {Saint James's-wort} (Bot.), a kind of ragwort ({Senecio
      Jacob[ae]a}).

   {Saint John's bread}. (Bot.) See {Carob}.

   {Saint John's-wort} (Bot.), any plant of the genus
      {Hypericum}, most species of which have yellow flowers; --
      called also {John's-wort}.

   {Saint Leger}, the name of a race for three-year-old horses
      run annually in September at Doncaster, England; --
      instituted in 1776 by Col. St. Leger.

   {Saint Martin's herb} (Bot.), a small tropical American
      violaceous plant ({Sauvagesia erecta}). It is very
      mucilaginous and is used in medicine.
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