noun / verb
blazon
A formal description or depiction of a coat of arms.
The herald writes a blazon describing the shield's colors and symbols.
Etymology
Old French blason named a shield. Because a shield carried identifying arms, its name developed into a term for the formal description or representation of those heraldic designs.
More examples
- The book explains how to blazon a coat of arms.
- The blazon specifies a silver lion on blue.
- She compares several medieval blazons.
Forms
blazon · blazons · blazoned · blazoning
Similar words
- coat of arms
- The heraldic design itself rather than its formal description.
- emblazon
- Depicts arms visually rather than necessarily describing them formally.