Word of the Day

: December 6, 2011

emblazon

verb im-BLAY-zun

What It Means

1 a : to inscribe or adorn with or as if with heraldic bearings or devices

b : to inscribe (as logos or lettering) on a surface

2 : celebrate, extol

emblazon in Context

Renaming the high school gymnasium after the beloved late basketball coach would emblazon her memory for years to come.

"A pre-game spotlight beamed on the blue NCAA women's basketball Final Four banner at the Purcell Pavilion, with the year 2011 emblazoned in gold." - From an article by Curt Rallo in the South Bend Tribune (Indiana), November 2, 2011

Did You Know?

English speakers have been using the heraldic sense of "emblazon" since the late 16th century, and before that there was the verb "blazon" ("to describe heraldically") and the noun "blazon" ("a heraldic coat of arms"), which descend from Anglo-French "blason." "Emblazon" still refers to adorning something with an emblem of heraldry, but it is now more often used for adorning or publicizing something in any conspicuous way, whether with eye-catching decoration or colorful words of praise.