Escutcheon
/ɪˈskʌtʃən/noun
A shield or shield-shaped heraldic device, or the plate around a keyhole or door handle.
Did you know?Escutcheon comes through Old French from Latin *scutum*, the Roman soldier’s shield, and its heraldic meaning turned a battlefield object into a sign of identity and rank.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*skeud-
“to shoot, throw, or cover”
Latin
Latin
scutum
“a shield”
Old French
Old French
escutcheon
“a shield; a coat of arms on a shield”
Middle English
English
escutcheon
“a shield, especially one bearing heraldic arms”
Modern English
English
escutcheon
“a shield or shield-shaped plate; in heraldry, a shield displaying arms”