coat of arms

noun phrase

1
: a tabard or surcoat embroidered with armorial bearings
2
a
: heraldic bearings (as of a person) usually depicted on an escutcheon often with accompanying adjuncts (such as a crest, motto, and supporters)
b
: a similar symbolic emblem

Examples of coat of arms in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Oil coated the wellhead, rust crept across the pump jack and a faded sign bore Remnant’s coat of arms — a bird of prey with outstretched wings perched on a shield. Mark Olalde, ProPublica, 22 Feb. 2024 Maryland state flag The Maryland flag has the coat of arms of the Calvert and Crossland families. Olivia Munson, The Courier-Journal, 5 Jan. 2024 According to Hello! magazine, Prince Edward received his individual coat of arms at age 19, while the Rhys-Jones coat of arms was made for Sophie’s father, Christopher Rhys-Jones, ahead of his daughter’s royal wedding in 1999. Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 21 Feb. 2024 The couple’s use of a coat of arms—despite no longer being working members of the royal family—as well as the use of Sussex in the domain name. Elise Taylor, Vogue, 16 Feb. 2024 In the lead-up to Vultures 1, West has worn clothing with a logo with a double-headed eagle that resembles a German coat of arms. Matthew Strauss, Pitchfork, 10 Feb. 2024 Like it or not, that flag, with its centuries-old gold-and-black and red-and-white heraldic banners from the Calvert and Crossland families (first combined into a unified coat of arms by Cecil Calvert in the 17th century) stands out in a crowd. Baltimore Sun Editorial Board, Baltimore Sun, 7 Feb. 2024 Vermont state flag The coat of arms on Vermont’s flag represents the state's agriculture. Olivia Munson, The Courier-Journal, 5 Jan. 2024 Story continues below advertisement Advertisement A Soviet coat of arms was dismantled at the Motherland monument in Kyiv on Sunday. Nick Parker, Washington Post, 30 July 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'coat of arms.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English cote of armes, translation of Middle French cote d'armes

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of coat of arms was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near coat of arms

Cite this Entry

“Coat of arms.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/coat%20of%20arms. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

coat of arms

: the heraldic arms belonging to a person, family, or group or a representation of these (as on a shield)
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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