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 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 That Mann was able to bleed us of millions in legal fees for so long should be a blot on the American escutcheon. The Editors, National Review, 19 Mar. 2021 Inside, the exquisite interior carries over unchanged design-wise from the coupe, complete with extremely comfortable yet very supportive seats and interesting details like escutcheon-less door pulls. Jim Resnick, Ars Technica, 14 Sep. 2020 Hence the magnificent gables, the plaster scrolls, escutcheons, vases, masks, garlands, festoons, cartouches, balustrades, and whatnot. Steve King, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 Dec. 2018

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'escutcheon.' 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 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 18 Mar. 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

More from Merriam-Webster on escutcheon

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