blazon

noun bla·zon \ ˈblā-zᵊn \

Definition of blazon

1 a : armorial bearings : coat of arms

b : the proper description or representation of heraldic or armorial bearings

2 : ostentatious display

Origin and Etymology of blazon

Middle English blason, from Anglo-French

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

Other Heraldry Terms

cachet, couchant, dormant, escutcheon, potent, standard, totem

blazon

verb

Definition of blazon

blazoned; blazoning play \ˈblāz-niŋ; ˈblā-zᵊn-iŋ\

transitive verb

1 : to publish widely : proclaim

2 a : to describe (heraldic or armorial bearings) in technical terms

b : to represent (armorial bearings) in drawing or engraving

3 a : display

b : deck, adorn

the town was blazoned with flags

—

blazoner

play \-nər; -zᵊn-ər\ noun

—

blazoning

noun

See blazon defined for English-language learners

Examples of blazon in a Sentence

their very public canoodling has pretty much blazoned the fact that they are having an affair
the city's waterfront has been blazoned with banners celebrating the festival of tall ships

Recent Examples of blazon from the Web

The packaging—blazoned in #millennialpink with a fashion illo of lashes or lips—admittedly speaks to a slightly younger demo (as do the $10.50 glitter pots).

— lindsay schallon, Glamour, "ASOS Is Launching Its Own Beauty Line and Everything's Under $20," 5 Sep. 2017
Already in 1492, when Christopher Columbus embarked for the Indies, the German mariner and cosmographer Georg Martin Behaim had blazoned an animal that might be a polar bear near the North Pole of his 1492 Erdapfel (Earth Apple) globe.

— michael engelhard, Smithsonian, "How Polar Bears Became the Dragons of the North," 31 May 2017
The company even sells monorail blazoned socks and others items paying homage to the ride that has existed since 1971 when the Magic Kingdom first opened.

— gabrielle russon, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Disney World's Monorail is endearing ride for children to pub crawlers," 25 June 2017
The Leave campaign bus was blazoned with a promise that quitting Europe could add 350 million pounds per week to the National Health Service.

— david frum, The Atlantic, "The Punishment of Theresa May," 9 June 2017
Already in 1492, when Christopher Columbus embarked for the Indies, the German mariner and cosmographer Georg Martin Behaim had blazoned an animal that might be a polar bear near the North Pole of his 1492 Erdapfel (Earth Apple) globe.

— michael engelhard, Smithsonian, "How Polar Bears Became the Dragons of the North," 31 May 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'blazon.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.