Scutcheons

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A shield or emblem bearing a coat of arms, used in heraldry to display family lineage or achievements
2. A protective plate or casing that serves as an ornamental cover for a keyhole or other structural opening
3. A decorative panel found in architecture, often including heraldic designs or family crests, emphasizing lineage and identity

Etymology: "Scutcheons" is the plural of "scutcheon," a shortened form of "escutcheon," the heraldic shield on which a coat of arms is displayed. The plural simply applies that same sense to several shields at once, as in a hall lined with family crests. The longer "escutcheon" carries the older history. It descends from Latin "scutum," a large shield, through Old French "escusson," a diminutive of the same stem, and it is the form that stuck in formal heraldic writing. The shortened "scutcheon" is the aphetic form, meaning the initial unstressed syllable "es-" has been dropped, a process that happened to many English words borrowed with a prefix, leaving the stem to stand alone.

Synonyms: shields, emblems, insignias, crests, badges