Definition of "escutcheon" [es•cutch•eon]

• Heraldry A shield or shield-shaped emblem bearing a coat of arms. (noun)
• An ornamental or protective plate, as for a keyhole. (noun)
• Nautical The plate on the stern of a ship inscribed with the ship's name. (noun)
• A blot on (one's) escutcheon Dishonor to one's reputation. (idiom)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "The fair fame of Harvard is the possession of every son and daughter of Massachusetts, and the least stain that mars her escutcheon is the sorrow of all."
• "To the left of the escutcheon was the figure of a woman, standing."
• "Camden society what the old church at Jamestown probably was, may be seen the tomb of a Tazewell, who died in 1706, on which is engraved the coat of arms of the family, -- a lion rampant, bearing a helmet with a vizor closed on his back; an escutcheon, which is evidently of Norman origin, and won by some daring feat of arms, and which could only have been held by one of the conquering race."