swastika
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swastika¹
- /ˈswɒstɪkə/ UK
- /ˈswɒstəkə/ UK
- /ˈswɑstɪkə/ US
- /ˈswɑstəkə/ US
- /ˈswɔstɘkɘ/ New Zealand
Where it comes from
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).
noun swastikas
-
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.
Similar: crooked cross, cross cramponned, cross cramponnée, cross cramponny, fylfot, lauburu, manji, thunder cross
-
Nazi rule.
"Is that what you think of me? I believe in the Grail, not the Swastika!"
Similar: hakenkreuz
Similar: Black Spider, cross gammadion, gammadion, gammation, hooked cross, sauvastika, sun wheel, tetraskelion, twisted cross, sauwastika
Swastika²
Where it comes from
Borrowed from Sanskrit स्वस्तिका (svastikā).
proper noun
- A female given name from Sanskrit used in India.
Swastika³
Where it comes from
Named after the Swastika Gold Mine in 1907. The mine's name was inspired by a swastika necklace its owner saw.
proper noun
- An unincorporated community in Timiskaming district, Ontario, Canada.
Swastika⁴
proper noun
- Former name of Brilliant: an unincorporated community in Colfax County, New Mexico, United States.
Thesaurus
noun
Similar: Black Spider, cross gammadion, gammadion, gammation, hooked cross, sauvastika, sun wheel, tetraskelion, twisted cross, sauwastika
Translations
Every language
noun a cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle
| Español | esvástica, cruz gamada, suástica, svástica |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 만자문 manjamun, 스와스티카 seuwaseutika, 만자 manja, 완자 wanja |
| 日本語 | 卍 manji, 卐 manji, 鉤十字 kagijūji |
| 中文 | 萬 /万 wàn, 萬字符 /万字符 wànzìfú, 卍 wàn, 卐 wàn, 卍字 wànzì, 卐字 wànzì |
| हिन्दी | स्वस्तिक svastik, साथिया sāthiyā |
| Português | suástica, cruz gamada |
| Français | svastika, croix gammée |
| Deutsch | Hakenkreuz, Swastika |
| Italiano | svastica, croce gammata |
| Ελληνικά | σβάστικα svástika, αγκυλωτός σταυρός agkylotós stavrós |
| Română | svastică |
| Русский | сва́стика svástika, коловра́т kolovrát |
| Tiếng Việt | chữ vạn |
| العربية | صَلِيب مَعْقُوف ṣalīb maʕqūf |
| עברית | צְלַב קֶרֶס tslav kéres |
Talk about this word "swastika." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/swastika. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. swastika. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/swastika "swastika." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/swastika.Cite this
@misc{swastika_2026,
title = {swastika},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/swastika},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
