Blazons

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An elaborate or ostentatious display of heraldry or authority, often characterized by intricate designs and symbols
2. A formal description or representation of a coat of arms, detailing its elements and colors
3. The act of making something widely known or publicly proclaimed, especially in a boastful manner

Etymology: "Blazons" is the third-person singular present form of "blazon," so the entry for the base word is the one that carries the story. Middle English had "blason" or "blasoun," meaning a shield, and it came from Old French "blason," which also meant a shield. The word's journey from a piece of armour to a verb for describing heraldic designs happened in the sense that a shield was the surface on which the design was displayed, so describing that design became "blazoning" it. The noun for the formal description of arms grew out of that same shield-centred meaning, so the shield is still present in every modern heraldic description. A blazon is the written or spoken account that lets an artist reproduce a coat of arms accurately from words alone, which is why the technical language of the craft remains so precise.

Synonyms: emblems, insignias, heraldry