saltire

noun /ˈsæl.taɪə/

1. An ordinary (geometric design) in the shape of an X. It usually occupies the entire field in which it is placed.

2. The Saint Andrew's cross, the flag of Scotland.

   But the World Cup winning veteran's left boot was awry again, the attempt sliced horribly wide of the left upright, and the saltires were waving aloft again a moment later when a long pass in the England midfield was picked off to almost offer up a breakaway try.

3. The Saint Patrick's Cross, the pre 1922 flag of Ireland.

Where it comes from

From Middle English sawtoure, from Old French sautoir (“stile, saltire”) (compare French sautoir (“saltire”)), from sauter (“to jump, to leap”) + -oir (subject forming nouns denoting physical objects from verbs), from Latin saltāre (“to dance, to jump”) + -orium, -oria.

Adapted from the Wiktionary entry saltire (CC BY-SA 4.0).

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