Medaillon

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A decorative pendant or ornamental piece often worn around the neck that may feature designs or portraits
2. A coin-like or disk-shaped item, typically used as jewelry or decoration, frequently inscribed with images or symbols
3. A circular or oval ornament that serves a decorative purpose, commonly displayed as jewelry or within art settings

Etymology: The English noun "medallion" entered the language from French "médaillon," a borrowing that kept the French spelling for a time before settling into its current form. The French word is itself an augmentative of "médaille," the word for a medal, so a médaillon is literally a large medal. Its earlier Italian ancestor "medaglione" carries the same sense, pointing to a shared route by which Renaissance coin-and-medal culture spread the term across Europe. The sense of a pendant worn on a chain comes from the same idea. A medal-like disc, often holding a portrait or a lock of hair, could be hung around the neck and kept close to the body, so the ornament took on the sentimental role that the word now carries.

Synonyms: medallion, pendant, amulet, charm, locket