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Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

swastika en · NOUN

Pronunciation

  • /ˈswɑstɪkə/ (General-American)
  • /ˈswɒstəkə/ (Received-Pronunciation)
  • /ˈswɔstɘkɘ/ (New-Zealand)
  • /ˈswɒstɪkə/ (Received-Pronunciation)
  • (US) audio
  • /ˈswɑstəkə/ (General-American)

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Sanskrit स्वस्तिक (svastika), from सु- (su-, “good, well”) + अस्ति (asti), a verbal abstract of the root of the verb "to be", स्वस्ति (svasti) thus meaning "well-being" — and the diminutive suffix क (ka); hence "little thing associated with well-being", corresponding roughly to "lucky charm". First attestation in English in 1871, a Sanskritism that replaced the Grecian term gammadion. From 1932 onwards it often referred specifically to the version used by the National Socialist German Workers’ Party (also called the "hooked cross", or German Hakenkreuz).

Meanings

  1. (countable) A cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle to the right or to the left, used as a religious symbol by various ancient and modern civilizations, but now mainly seen and used in the West (with arms angled to the right) as a symbol of Nazism and fascism.
    • This was signed by Dana Da, who added pentacles and pentagrams, and a crux ansata, and half-a-dozen swastikas, and a Triple Tau to his name, just to show that he was all he laid claim to be. 1888, Rudyard Kipling, “The Sending of Dana Da”, in In Black and White, Folio Society, published 2005, pages 423–4:
    • It is clear from archaeological finds that they enjoyed wearing Christian crosses, though they might enliven these with such symbols as the Indian swastika which Buddhists had brought them. 2009, Diarmaid MacCulloch, A History of Christianity, Penguin, published 2010, page 270:
    • A GOP office in Hillsborough, North Carolina, was firebombed over the weekend, with a swastika and the words “Nazi Republicans leave town or else” spray painted on an adjacent building, according to local officials. 2016 October 16, Eric Bradner and Adrienne Shih, “Local GOP office in North Carolina firebombed”, in CNN:
    • Authorities in Connecticut are investigating after swastikas were found drawn on a high school campus in Stamford for the second time since Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel earlier this month, the school district said. 2023 October 30, Sara Smart and Elizabeth Wolfe, “Swastikas found drawn on Connecticut high school campus for second time since Israel-Hamas war ignited, district says”, in CNN:
  2. (metonymically, uncountable) Nazi rule.
    • “I can’t imagine anyone believes in Communist culprits instead of a contract job commissioned on behalf of the swastika.” 2011, Rudolph Herzog, translated by Jefferson Chase, Dead Funny: Humor in Hitler's Germany, Brooklyn: Melville House, →ISBN, page 36:
    • "Is that what you think of me? I believe in the Grail, not the Swastika!" 1989, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, spoken by Dr. Elsa Schneider (Alison Doody):

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
swastikas Number=Plur lexicographic

Deriveds

Swasticar · swooshtika · swastikalike · swastikaed · half-swastika · zwastika

Holonyms

kolovrat

Synonyms

cross cramponny (in heraldry) · cross cramponned (in heraldry) · hooked cross · sauwastika (left-facing; symbolizing the night or the tantric aspects of Kali) · lauburu (chiefly in traditional Basque culture) · sun wheel · sauvastika · cross cramponnée (in heraldry) · twisted cross · cross gammadion · thunder cross (chiefly in traditional Latvian culture) · crooked cross (in heraldry) · tetraskelion · gammation · hakenkreuz (chiefly in India referring to the Nazi swastika) · gammadion · Black Spider · fylfot (chiefly in architecture and heraldry) · manji (chiefly in East Asian Buddhism)

Translations (125)

szl hakenkrojc (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · yue 卍 (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · ur سواستیکا (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · da svastika (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · de Hakenkreuz (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · fi hakaristi (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · yi סװאַסטיקע (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · cmn 卍字 (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · eo svastiko (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · es cruz gamada (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · eo hokokruco (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · tk swastika (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · fo hakakrossur (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · wuu 卐 (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · ja ハーケンクロイツ (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · nn hakekors (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · sv svastika (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · ko 만자 (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · my စကြာ (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · sq svastikë (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · vi chữ vạn (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · kk свастика (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · nn svastika (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · fr croix gammée (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · pra-mah 𑀲𑀢𑁆𑀣𑀺𑀅 (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · sh сва̀стика (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · ms banji (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · yi האַקנקרייץ (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · nn hakekross (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · bn স্বস্তিকা (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · te స్వస్తిక (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · lb Hakekräiz (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · kn ಸ್ವಸ್ತಿಕ (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · lo ສວັດສະຕິກະ (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · da hagekors (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · nv náhootałii (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · nl hakenkruis (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · bn স্বস্তিকচিহ্ন (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · sv hakkors (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · cmn 卐 (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · uz svastika (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · fa صلیب شکسته (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · lv svastika (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · ky свастика (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · el αγκυλωτός σταυρός (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · es svástica (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · sk svastika (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · lt svastika (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · ja 卐 (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · it croce gammata (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · ja スワスティカ (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · et haakrist (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · es esvástica (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · oc svastica (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · si ස්වස්තික (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · nl swastika (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · sh кукасти крст (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · bo གཡུང་དྲུང་ (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · de Swastika (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · it svastica (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · sh svàstika (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · hi स्वस्तिक (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · sh kukasti krst (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · nb hakekors (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · sa स्वस्तिक (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · hy սվաստիկա (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · tg свастика (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · bg сва́стика (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · nv náhookǫs (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · cs svastika (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · mk свастика (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · ru сва́стика (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · af swastika (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · sh ко̏ловра̑т (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · ko 만자문 (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · mk кукест крст (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · he צְלַב קֶרֶס (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · et svastika (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · es suástica (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · ru коловра́т (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · km ស្វស្តិក (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · bn স্বস্তিক (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · ar صَلِيب مَعْقُوف (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · hi साथिया (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · cmn 萬 /万 (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · id swastika (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · gv crosh chast (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · fr svastika (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · ko 완자 (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · yue 卐 (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · txb svastik (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · tr gamalı haç (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · th สวัสติกะ (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · ko 스와스티카 (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · pl swastyka (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · ms swastika (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · ca creu gammada (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · nb svastika (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · cmn 卐字 (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · is hakakross (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · hu horogkereszt (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · ka სვასტიკა (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · be сва́стыка (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · uk сва́стика (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · pt suástica (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · ur سوستک (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · cmn 萬字符 /万字符 (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · ja 鉤十字 (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · wuu 卍 (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · ca esvàstica (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · el σβάστικα (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · gu સ્વસ્તિક (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · ga svaistice (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · ja 卍 (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · sh сварзица (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · mn хас (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · sh kȍlovrȃt (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · pt cruz gamada (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · sgs svastėka (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · cmn 卍 (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · sh svarzica (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · ro svastică (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · az svastika (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · lv kāškrusts (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle) · sl svastika (a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle)