Definition

Noun: A small flag or streamer, typically triangular or swallow-tailed, attached to the head of a lance or spear, used historically for identification or decoration, especially by medieval knights.

Usage

The word "pennoncelle" is a historical and heraldic term. It refers specifically to a diminutive form of a pennon, which is itself a type of flag. It is used to describe a small, decorative banner carried on a lance.

Examples

• The knight's lance was adorned with a colorful pennoncelle bearing his family's crest.
• In the medieval tapestry, each horseman carried a pennoncelle fluttering from his weapon.
• The museum's collection includes several pennoncelles recovered from ancient battlefields.

Advanced Usage

• The term is primarily used in historical, military, or heraldic contexts to add precise detail.
• It can be used metaphorically in literary descriptions to evoke a medieval or chivalric atmosphere, though this is rare.

Variants and Related Words

• Pennon (noun): A flag or banner, often long and tapering, used especially by knights and on ships. A pennoncelle is a small pennon.
• Pennant (noun): A tapering flag used for signaling or identification, often in nautical or sports contexts. It is a more general and modern synonym.
• Streamer (noun): A long, narrow flag. This is a more common, general term.

Synonyms

• Banneret
• Streamer
• Pennant (specifically a small one)

Antonyms

• Standard (a larger, more important flag)
• Ensign

Related Phrases

• To bear a pennoncelle: The act of carrying such a flag on a lance.
  • The young squire was proud to bear his lord's pennoncelle into the tournament.

Noun

1. a small pennant borne on a lance