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

The food is much better on papal flights with special menus printed with the pope’s coat of arms, which also adorn the head rests. —Christopher Lamb, CNN Money, 13 June 2026

The bird belongs to the coat of arms of Sir Edmund Hillary, a New Zealander, who was part of the first team to conquer Mount Everest. —Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 9 June 2026

The seating arrangement was by canton (the equivalent, in Switzerland’s intensely federal system, of an American state), and centerpieces bore the coat of arms of each. —Jessi Jezewska Stevens, New Yorker, 8 June 2026

Beyond the color blocking, the new Air Jordan 4 is said to feature details inspired by the bear pictured on Berlin’s coat of arms. —Riley Jones, Footwear News, 16 May 2026

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

Rhymes for coat of arms

• firearms
• alarms
• disarms
• forearms
• gendarmes
• charms
• farms
• harms

Kids Definition

coat of arms

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