saint

plural saints · alternative St · alternative St.

1. generallylifestyleA deceased person whom a church or another religious group has officially recognised as especially holy or godly; one eminent for piety and virtue.

   The Roman Catholic Church proclaimed Kateri Tekakwitha a saint in 2012.

2. ChristianityOne of the blessed in heaven.

   Then ſhall thy Saints unmixt, and from th' impure / Farr ſeparate, circling thy holy Mount / Unfained Halleluiahs to thee ſing,

   1667, John Milton, “Book VI”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC, lines 742–744

3. ChristianityA Christian; a faithful believer in the present world.

   Unto the Church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Iesus, called to be Saints, with all that in euery place call vpon the Name of Iesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours.

   1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, 1 Corinthians 1:2

4. MormonismspecificallyAlternative letter-case form of Saint (“a Mormon, a Latter-day Saint”).
5. broadlyfigurativelyA person with similarly overwhelming positive qualities; one who does good.

   Dorothy Day was a living saint.

   1 more example

   Thanks for looking after the house while I'm away. You're a saint!

6. archaicA holy object.

   It is ruine to a man to deuoure ſaintes, and afterward to retracte the vowes.

   1610, The Second Tome of the Holie Bible, […] (Douay–Rheims Bible), Doway: Laurence Kellam, […], →OCLC, Prouerbes 20:25, page 299

present singular third person saints · participle present sainting · participle past sainted · past sainted

1. transitiveSynonym of canonize: to honor, formally name, or revere as a saint.

   Many Catholics wished to see Pope John Paul II sainted immediately after his death.

   Synonyms: canonize

plural Saints

1. A title given to a saint, often prefixed to the person's name.

   Saint Stephen was the first martyr.

   Synonyms: St, St., S, S., SS, SS.

2. MormonismA Latter-day Saint, a Mormon.

   the Kirtland Saints

   2 more examples

   They settled in Kaw Township, a dozen miles from Independence, becoming the first Saints to be resettled in the newly designated Zion.

   2011, Terryl L. Givens, Matthew J. Grow, Parley P. Pratt: The Apostle Paul of Mormonism, →ISBN, page 53

   The project’s goal was to “fortify the faith of the Saints,” he said, “while at the same time paying attention to hard things.”

   2018 September 2, Peggy Fletcher Stack, Scott D. Pierce, “Mormon church publishes its first official history in nearly a century, and the result is an easy-to-read volume that tackles some hard facts”, in The Salt Lake Tribune

3. hobbiesSomeone connected with any of the sports teams known as the Saints, such as a player or coach, or sometimes a fan.

   In 1971, during Archie Manning's first game as a New Orleans Saint and the season opener against the Los Angeles Rams, […]

   2008, Monica M. Dalide, 683 Things About New Orleans, Outskirts Press, page 88

   2 more examples

   Former New Orleans Saint and current blues historian at Tulane University, Nick Travers becomes involved in a case related to the mysterious death […]

   2008, David Rife, Jazz Fiction: A History and Comprehensive Reader's Guide, Scarecrow Press, →ISBN, page 86

   Their prayers were answered when future New Orleans Saint and Super Bowl champion Jabari Greer intercepted Croyle's pass. In the fourth overtime, ...

   2015, Craig T. Smith, 100 Things Tennessee Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die, Triumph Books, →ISBN

4. UKrail transportSaint class, a class of steam locomotives used on the GWR.

plural Saints

1. A surname.

1. A nickname, given to someone of very good character.
2. A nickname, given to someone of extreme religiosity.