blot on the escutcheon
Something damaging to one's reputation.
The most zealous advocates of the unfortunate monarch cannot deny that this is an indelible blot on his escutcheon.
escutcheon
/ɪˈskʌt͡ʃən/
noun 5
Collocations
2VERB + ESCUTCHEON
honour
ESCUTCHEON + NOUN
marble, tablet
Definitions
noun
1
The shield on which a coat of arms is displayed, or, by extension, the coat of arms itself.
Meronyms: field, charge, emblem
He dies: his very coffin is comfortable; the very vault of his ancestors is sheltered; a funeral sermon is preached in his honour; and escutcheon and marble tablet do their best to preserve his memory.
2
A small shield used to charge a larger one.
3
The pattern of distribution of hair upon the pubic mound.
The hair becomes darker and coarser during pubic hair stage 3, spreading over the pubic symphysis with gradual progression to a full female escutcheon.
4
A marking upon the back of a cow's udder and the space above it (the perineum), formed by the hair growing upward or outward instead of downward. It was once taken as an index of milking qualities.
The milk-mirror, or escutcheon, is formed by the hair above the udder, extending upwards between the thighs, […]
5
The part of a ship's stern where its name is displayed.
Thesaurus
Synonyms
noun — a shield
- scutcheon
noun — a flat protective covering (on a door or wall etc) to preven
- scutcheon
Antonyms
Idioms & Phrases
Example Bank
301
Meronyms: field, charge, emblem
Wiktionary02
He dies: his very coffin is comfortable; the very vault of his ancestors is sheltered; a funeral sermon is preached in his honour; and escutcheon and marble tablet do their best to preserve his memory
Wiktionary03
And in the meanwhile, Society shivered a little feverishly, filled now with the scions of those who had come over with the Jewish and American Conquests. Escutcheons were becoming valueless, how sinis
WiktionaryUsage Notes
Your note
not saved0 chars