escutcheon
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Noun:
- A shield or shield-shaped surface, especially one bearing a coat of arms. This is the primary heraldic meaning, referring to the background on which armorial bearings are displayed.
- (Nautical) A plate on a ship's stern on which the ship's name is inscribed. This is a specific, functional use of the term in a maritime context.
- A flat protective plate or panel, often around a keyhole, doorknob, or light switch, intended to prevent soiling from fingers. This is a common architectural and hardware term for a protective cover.
Usage Examples
- Noun (Heraldry):
- The family's escutcheon featured a lion and a tower.
- A knight's escutcheon was a vital part of his identification in battle.
- Noun (Nautical):
- The name "Endeavour" was elegantly painted on the ship's brass escutcheon.
- We could read the vessel's home port on its stern escutcheon.
- Noun (Protective Cover):
- The tarnished brass escutcheon around the old keyhole needed polishing.
- Install an escutcheon behind the door handle to protect the paint from wear.
Advanced Usage
- "A blot on one's escutcheon": This is a common idiom. It uses the heraldic meaning metaphorically to mean a stain on one's reputation or honor.
- The scandal was a permanent blot on the politician's escutcheon.
Variants and Related Words
- Escutcheoned (adj.): Describing something that bears or is decorated with an escutcheon.
- The escutcheoned gate marked the entrance to the ancestral estate.
Synonyms
- Shield (for the heraldic sense).
- Nameplate (for the nautical sense).
- Plate, Rosette, Backplate (for the protective cover sense).
Idioms Related
- A blot on one's escutcheon: A stain on one's honor or reputation.
- He considered the failed business venture a blot on his escutcheon.
Noun
- a shield; especially one displaying a coat of arms
- (nautical) a plate on a ship's stern on which the name is inscribed
- a flat protective covering (on a door or wall etc) to prevent soiling by dirty fingers