escutcheon

American  

[ih-skuhch-uhn] / ɪˈskʌtʃ ən /

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.

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idioms

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

escutcheon British  

/ ɪˈskʌtʃən /

noun

1. a shield, esp a heraldic one that displays a coat of arms

2. Also called: escutcheon 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. a stain on one's honour

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Other Word Forms

• escutcheoned adjective
• unescutcheoned adjective

Etymology

Origin of escutcheon

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

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