Inescutcheons

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A heraldic term referring to a shield or emblem used to display a coat of arms
2. The part of the shield that holds specific symbols representing lineage or title
3. A decorative element in heraldry showcasing the identity of a family, clan, or organization

Etymology: Inescutcheon is the plural of "inescutcheon," and the word is a heraldic term for a small shield placed within the middle of a larger one on a coat of arms. Its parts are simple: the prefix "in-" meaning "in" or "within," joined to "escutcheon," the English word for the shield itself. The plural forms the noun is usually written in is "inescutcheons," and so the word names one of several small shields inset in a single larger field. The source offers a good example of how the device works. The coat of arms of John de Vaux, a 13th-century English nobleman, includes a red inescutcheon set on a larger silver shield. Heralds used such insets to show a family connection or a branch of the lineage, so a reader could tell at a glance which line of a family a bearer belonged to.