coat of arms

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR coat of arms ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a surcoat or tabard embroidered with heraldic devices, worn by medieval knights over their armor.

a heraldic achievement of arms.

Nearby words

coat armour, coat card, coat dress, coat flower, coat hanger, coat of arms, coat of mail, coat of many colors, coat protein, coat tree, coat-of-mail shell

Origin of coat of arms

1325–75; Middle English; parallel to French cotte d'armes

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for coat of arms

Were you to drive up to the front gate of this grand palace, you would see a coat-of-arms sculptured in granite over the entrance.
Bruin|Mayne Reid
General Grant, for instance, when asked for his coat-of-arms, replied: "A pair of shirt sleeves."
The Booklover and His Books|Harry Lyman Koopman
The mantle was the garb of peace, and was even more richly decorated than the coat-of-arms.
The History of Chivalry|G. P. R. James
Principle established in case of citizens displaying crest or coat-of-arms.
Punch, or the London Charivari, July 1, 1914|Various

The civic wreath and the stranded ship which appear as honourable augmentations on his coat-of-arms were derived from this event.
Cornish Worthies, Volume 1 (of 2)|Walter H. Tregellas

British Dictionary definitions for coat of arms

coat of arms

noun

the heraldic bearings of a person, family, or corporation

a surcoat decorated with family or personal bearings

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