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saint (sānt)
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n.
1. Christianity
a. Abbr. St. or S. A person officially recognized, especially by canonization, as being entitled to public veneration and capable of interceding for people on earth.
b. A person who has died and gone to heaven.
c. Saint A member of any of various Christian groups, especially a Latter-Day Saint.
2. A person who is venerated for holiness in a non-Christian religious tradition.
3. An extremely virtuous person.
tr.v. saint·ed, saint·ing, saints
1. To name, recognize, or venerate as a saint.
2. To regard or venerate as extremely virtuous.
[Middle English seint, from Old French saint, from Late Latin sānctus, from Latin, holy, past participle of sancīre, to consecrate; see sak- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

    Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

    Indo-European Roots

    Semitic Roots

    The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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