n. & v.
--n. (abbr. St or S; pl. Sts or SS)
1. a holy or (in some Churches) a canonized person regarded as having a place in heaven.
2 (Saint or St) the title of a saint or archangel, hence the name of a church etc. (St Paul's) or (often with the loss of the apostrophe) the name of a town etc. (St Andrews; St Albans).
3 a very virtuous person; a person of great real or affected holiness (would try the patience of a saint).
4 a member of the company of heaven (with all the angels and saints).
5 ( Bibl., archaic, and used by Puritans, Mormons, etc.) one of God's chosen people; a member of the Christian Church or one's own branch of it.
--v.tr.
1. canonize; admit to the calendar of saints.
2 call or regard as a saint.
3 (as sainted adj.) sacred; of a saintly life; worthy to be regarded as a saint.
Phrases and idioms:
my sainted aunt see AUNT. saint's day a Church festival in memory of a saint .
Derivatives:
saintdom n. sainthood n. saintlike adj. saintling n. saintship n.
Etymology: ME f. OF seint, saint f. L sanctus holy, past part. of sancire consecrate