Escutcheon

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ɪˈskʌt͡ʃən/

Definitions

1. A shield or emblem that displays a coat of arms ; a protective or decorative plate around a keyhole or door handle ; the patch of hair on the pubic region of the body
2. A heraldic device or shield showing familial or organizational symbols ; a metal plate fitted around a lock or door fixture for protection ; the pubic hair section located above the genitals
3. An emblematic shield used in heraldry to identify lineage ; a guard plate encircling a keyhole or door furniture to prevent damage ; the area of coarse hair covering the pubic region

Etymology: The shield you see on a coat of arms has a diminutive name, and its ancestor is the Roman legionary's oblong shield. The word passed from Latin "scutum" into Old French as "escu," and then gained the suffix "-on," making a little shield. Middle English borrowed it as "scochon" through Anglo-Norman "escuchon," and the spelling was later reshaped to the form used today. The same Latin root gave English "scute," the bony plate on a turtle or armadillo, and it sits behind the Spanish "escudo" and the French "écu," both old coin names that once showed a shield on their face. Heraldry took the small shield as its basic frame for a family's emblem, so the word narrowed from any shield to the one that displays arms.

Synonyms: shield, emblem