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pursuivant

[pur-swi-vuh nt]
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noun
  1. a heraldic officer of the lowest class, ranking below a herald.
  2. an official attendant on heralds.
  3. any attendant or follower.
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Origin of pursuivant

1350–1400; < French poursuivant (present participle of poursuivre to pursue, follow ≪ Latin prōsequī); replacing Middle English pursevant < Middle French pursivant < Latin, as above
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words

messengercatchpolepursuivantsummoner

Examples from the Web for pursuivant

Historical Examples

  • Pursuivant of love, the favourite title of a knight, I. 202.

    The History of Chivalry, Volume I (of 2)

    Charles Mills

  • Why, I proposed to devote myself to the Pursuivant to-morrow!'

  • Time to put it into the Pursuivant would have made all the difference!

  • It was lucky for the Pursuivant that they were not its caterers.

  • Our pursuivant and Bolton shall escort him to Dunbar, and ship him off for Flanders.

    The Monastery

    Sir Walter Scott

British Dictionary definitions for pursuivant

pursuivant

noun
  1. the lowest rank of heraldic officer
  2. history a state or royal messenger
  3. history a follower or attendant
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Word Origin

C14: from Old French, from poursivre to pursue
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