college of arms

variants or college of heralds
1
usually capitalized C&A&H
a
: a corporation in England dependent upon the crown and consisting of three kings of arms, six heralds, and four pursuivants under the earl marshal's headship who have retained from the middle ages certain of the ceremonial duties of heralds but whose principal responsibility in modern times is the designing, grant, and registration of armorial bearings
b
: the building occupied by this corporation
2
: an officially incorporated body of officers of arms of any nation

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

  • More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
  • Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
  • Advanced search features
  • Ad free!

Dictionary Entries Near college of arms

Cite this Entry

“College of arms.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/college%20of%20arms. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!