swastika

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.Examples: "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."; "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."; "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."Synonyms: crooked cross, cross cramponned, cross cramponnée, cross cramponny, fylfot, lauburu, manji, thunder crosscountable

2. (fascism, history, metonymic, uncountable) Nazi rule.Examples: ""Is that what you think of me? I believe in the Grail, not the Swastika!""; "“I can’t imagine anyone believes in Communist culprits instead of a contract job commissioned on behalf of the swastika.”"Synonyms: hakenkreuzmetonymicallyuncountable