escutcheon

[ ih-skuhch-uhn ]

noun

1. a shield or shieldlike surface on which a coat of arms is depicted.
2. an ornamental or protective plate around a keyhole, door handle, drawer pull, light switch, etc.
3. Nautical. a panel on the stern of a vessel bearing its name and port of registry.

escutcheon

/ ɪˈskʌtʃən /

noun

1. a shield, esp a heraldic one that displays a coat of arms
2. Also calledescutcheon plate a plate or shield that surrounds a keyhole, door handle, light switch, etc, esp an ornamental one protecting a door or wall surface
3. the place on the stern or transom of a vessel where the name is shown
4. blot on one's escutcheon
   a stain on one's honour

Derived Forms

• esˈcutcheoned, adjective

Other Words From

• es·cutcheoned adjective
• unes·cutcheoned adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of escutcheon¹

1470–80; < Old North French escuchon ≪ Latin scūtum shield

Word History and Origins

Origin of escutcheon¹

C15: from Old Northern French escuchon, ultimately from Latin scūtum shield

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. blot on one's escutcheon, a stain on one's reputation; disgrace.

Example Sentences

For a modern apartment in a Nashville high-rise, however, he chose a streamlined lever with a flat profile and square escutcheon from Nanz: “It’s a modern lever, done in a clean and simple way.”

From Seattle Times

In her heart, she was his silent ally, a fifth columnist, in Bull’s inveterate assaults on the trellised escutcheons of the Old South that Lillian shoved in front of him.

From Literature

Many single-handle bathroom faucets include an “escutcheon,” or deck plate, for this very reason.

From Seattle Times

And though the sign out front, with its lion-flanked escutcheon and Gothic lettering, gives off a whiff of high society, the club’s membership spans classes, embracing socialites and police officers, lawyers and factory workers.

From New York Times

In the right-hand panel, a crimson escutcheon hovers, like a danger signal, against a vortex of tangled, scribbled lines.

From New York Times