escutcheon

noun

es·​cutch·​eon i-ˈskə-chən How to pronounce escutcheon (audio)
1
: a defined area on which armorial bearings are displayed and which usually consists of a shield
2
: a protective or ornamental plate or flange (as around a keyhole)
3
: the part of a ship's stern on which the name is displayed

Illustration of escutcheon

Illustration of escutcheon
  • escutcheon 2

Examples of escutcheon in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
At the bottom of the escutcheon is a round panel with a biometric fingerprint reader. PCMAG, 20 May 2024 The interior escutcheon is matte black and measures 6.5 by 2.6 by 1.2 inches (HWD). PCMAG, 20 May 2024 The exterior escutcheon is made of zinc alloy and has a black finish and an IP65 weatherproof rating. PCMAG, 10 May 2024 Irrespective of the outcome, this represents a blot on the American escutcheon. Nr Editors, National Review, 9 Feb. 2024 Not star young starting pitcher for the Mets—a job that Dwight Gooden and Matt Harvey have both shown to be one where the escutcheon gets quickly tarnished, to sound like a sportswriter of the nineteen-twenties—has ever been so doomed. Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 12 Sep. 2023 In one bedroom the previous owner’s books remain, playing well with a baroque marble escutcheon found at Rose Uniacke. Town & Country, 25 Aug. 2023 Thus, the Meyers Manx was born, and suitably adorned with a fine escutcheon: a rampant Manx cat hoisting aloft a dull, chipped sword. Car and Driver, 11 Aug. 2022 And the escutcheon doors have weathered four hundred years of Spanish rain and sun. Mary Elizabeth Andriotis, House Beautiful, 9 Apr. 2021

Word History

Etymology

Middle English escochon, from Anglo-French escuchoun, from Vulgar Latin *scution-, scutio, from Latin scutum shield — more at esquire

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of escutcheon was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near escutcheon

Cite this Entry

“Escutcheon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/escutcheon. Accessed 8 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

escutcheon

noun
es·​cutch·​eon is-ˈkəch-ən How to pronounce escutcheon (audio)
: the shield-shaped surface on which a coat of arms is shown

Medical Definition

escutcheon

noun
es·​cutch·​eon is-ˈkəch-ən How to pronounce escutcheon (audio)
: the configuration of adult pubic hair

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