noun
escutcheon
ih-SKUCH-un/ɪˈskʌtʃn/
A shield or shield-shaped emblem bearing a coat of arms.
The escutcheon above the doorway displays the family's coat of arms.
Etymology
The French ancestor already had a heraldic sense. English uses the word for the shield-shaped surface that carries the identifying design of a coat of arms.
In context
At noon I descended from a drosky before a long, gray, massive building, over the big doorway of which was a large escutcheon bearing the Russian arms emblazoned in gold
More examples
- A golden lion fills the center of the escutcheon.
- The artist paints the royal escutcheon on a banner.
- Each stained-glass window features an escutcheon bearing a different family's arms.
Forms
escutcheon · escutcheons