Definify.com

Webster 1913 Edition

‖

Noun.

[Sp.

santon

, augmented fr.

santo

holy, L.

sanctus

A Turkish saint; a kind of dervish, regarded by the people as a saint: also, a hermit.

Noun.

A Turkish priest; a kind of dervis, regarded by the vulgar as a saint.

santon ‎(plural santons)

A Muslim holy man.
- 1818, John Keats, "To J. H. Reynolds, Esq.":
  Part of the building was a chosen see, / Built by a banished santon of Chaldee [...].
In France (originally Provence), a small, hand-painted, terracotta figurine of a nativity character.
- 1974, Lawrence Durrell, Monsieur, Faber & Faber 1992, p. 49:
  Also we had brought a huge family of little santons of painted terracotta for the crêche.