MALTESE CROSS • DICTIONARY ONE.COM • Definition of Maltese cross

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/mɔltˈiz krɔs/ Listen

Maltese cross

noun

Eurasian garden perennial having scarlet flowers in dense terminal heads. Synonyms: Lychins chalcedonica, scarlet lychnis.

A cross with triangular or arrow-shaped arms and the points toward the center.

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Etymology of 'Maltese cross'

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"Maltese cross" Quotes from Famous Books

... marble steps in front of the altar were two baskets filled with white camellias, and great spikes of pink and blue hyacinths, that seemed to break their hearts in waves of aromatic incense. The family Bible of the Gordons lay open, on the reading desk, and upon its yellow pages rested a Maltese cross of snowy Roman hyacinths. Looping back the purple velvet portiere over the arch leading into the library, Leo sat down on the organ bench to await the coming of the family, leisurely arranged the stops, and marked ...

— At the Mercy of Tiberius • August Evans Wilson

... two sailors appeared over the edge of the quay, and a Maltese cross of light burst into radiance at the end of a sloping gangway, whose summit was just perched on the solid masonry of the port. The sailors were clothed in blue, with white caps, and on their breasts they bore ...

— The Lion's Share • E. Arnold Bennett

... attempt to rest, and rose and dressed. Then the sacristan from the church appeared in his scarlet trousers and cassock. He carried a silver dish, which looked like a card receiver surmounted by a Maltese cross and a bell. The sacristan rang this bell, which was most melodious, went down on one knee, and I deposited a peso in the dish. He uttered a benediction and disappeared. After him came the procession of common people, adults and children, shyly uttering their Buenas ...

— A Woman's Impression of the Philippines • Mary Helen Fee

... think Italy's so shabby after all," exclaimed the Countess. "Just see that pretty little Maltese cross above the ...

— My Friend the Chauffeur • C. N. Williamson and A. M. Williamson

... of common feeling I think I should have made friends with M. No franker, more straightforward, less selfish man has crossed the sea to France wearing the obscured Maltese Cross which decorates the cap of the padre. It was my first real stroke of luck that I met M. on the deck of that steamer. As it turned out he knew no more than I did about what lay before us. His previous service had been in England and he was going to France for the first time. ...

— A Padre in France • George A. Birmingham

... modified Maltese cross centered on a red background; the flag of France outlined in white on two sides is in the upper hoist quadrant; the flag of France is used for ...

— The 2001 CIA World Factbook • United States. Central Intelligence Agency.

... a naval and military decoration in the shape of a Maltese cross, instituted by Queen Victoria in 1856 for conspicuous bravery in the presence ...

— The Nuttall Encyclopaedia - Being a Concise and Comprehensive Dictionary of General Knowledge • Edited by Rev. James Wood

Words linked to "Maltese cross" : Lychins chalcedonica, cross, catchfly, lychnis, scarlet lychnis