escutcheon

Other forms: escutcheons

An escutcheon is a shield with a particular family's coat of arms on it. Long ago, knights carried escutcheons into battle.

Escutcheon comes from the Old French escusson, which was both a "half-crown coin" and also a "coat of arms," from a Latin root meaning "shield." An escutcheon can be an actual shield, held as defense from an opponent's sword, or the shape of a shield, especially when it's part of a coat of arms. A more modern meaning of this word is "flat metal around a keyhole," a piece of hardware with a vaguely shield-like shape.

Definitions of escutcheon

1. noun

   a shield; especially one displaying a coat of arms
   synonyms: scutcheon

   type of:

   buckler, shield

   armor carried on the arm to intercept blows
2. noun

   a flat protective covering (on a door or wall etc) to prevent soiling by dirty fingers
   synonyms: finger plate, scutcheon

   type of:

   protection, protective cover, protective covering

   a covering that is intend to protect from damage or injury
3. noun

   (nautical) a plate on a ship's stern on which the name is inscribed
   type of:

   plate

   a sheet of metal or wood or glass or plastic