Dictionary.com

cartouche

or car·touch

[ kahr-toosh ]
/ kɑrˈtuʃ /
Save This Word!

noun
Architecture. a rounded, convex surface, usually surrounded with carved ornamental scrollwork, for receiving a painted or low-relief decoration, as an escutcheon.
an oval or oblong figure, as on ancient Egyptian monuments, enclosing characters that represent the name of a sovereign.
the case containing the inflammable materials in certain fireworks.
a box for cartridges.
QUIZ
CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?
There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?
Question 1 of 7
Which sentence is correct?

Origin of cartouche

1605–15; <Middle French <Italian cartoccio, equivalent to cart(a) paper (see carte) + -occio augmentative suffix
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use cartouche in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for cartouche

cartouche

cartouch

/ (kɑːˈtuːʃ) /

noun
a carved or cast ornamental tablet or panel in the form of a scroll, sometimes having an inscription
an oblong figure enclosing characters expressing royal or divine names in Egyptian hieroglyphics
the paper case holding combustible materials in certain fireworks
rare a cartridge or a box for cartridges

Word Origin for cartouche

C17: from French: scroll, cartridge, from Italian cartoccio, from carta paper; see card 1
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
FEEDBACK