armorial

American  

[ahr-mawr-ee-uhl, -mohr-] / ɑrˈmɔr i əl, -ˈmoʊr- /

adjective

1. of or relating to heraldry or heraldic bearings.

2. bearing a coat or coats of arms.

   a set of armorial china.

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noun

1. a book containing heraldic bearings and devices.

armorial British  

/ ɑːˈmɔːrɪəl /

adjective

1. of or relating to heraldry or heraldic arms

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noun

1. a book of coats of arms

Other Word Forms

• unarmorial adjective

Etymology

Origin of armorial

First recorded in 1570–80; armory + -al ¹

Example Sentences

No prizes on offer for letting us know the proper name for said armorial part. #bbcsportsound.

From BBC • May 29, 2011

In the Chamber, princes, nawabs, rajas and maharajas sat under their painted armorial shields, fingering their silky beards, their brocaded turbans, their jeweled necklaces, delighted that the Viceroy had revived this ceremony.

From Time Magazine Archive

Despite the fact that services of armorial Lowestoft of that size are as rare as fragments of the True Cross, Dealer Cloran believed.

From Time Magazine Archive

There can be little doubt that ancient armorial bearings were chosen at will by the man who bore them, many reasons guiding his choice.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 13, Slice 3 "Helmont, Jean" to "Hernosand" by Various

We have already seen that multitudes of armorial ensigns have been borrowed from the bearers’ names—it is asserted by several authors that, in many cases, surnames were borrowed from arms.

From The Curiosities of Heraldry by Lower, Mark Antony