vergescu
UK/ˈvɜː.d͡ʒɛs.k(j)u/US/ˈvɝ.d͡ʒɛs.k(j)u/
vergescu noun: the white shield that was the mark of novice knights, especially in Arthurian legend.
Noun
vergescu
- The white shield that was the mark of novice knights, especially in Arthurian legend.
- xxijᵗʰ daye of Maie, there shall be a grene tree sett up in the lawnde of Grenwich parke; whereuppon shall hange, by a grene lace, a Vergescu Blanke, in which white shield it shalbe^([sic]) lawfull for any gentleman that will annswear this chalenge ensewing to subscribe his name.Mid-16th century, anonymous author, The Harleian Manuscript, page 24
- "Do you mean Galahad? Was he bearing the vergescu?” “Yes, Galahad. It wasn't a vergescu. He had got hold of a shield somewhere which was said to have belonged to Joseph of Arimathea. It was argent a tau cross gules.1940, Terence White, The Ill-Made Knight, page 186
Forms of vergescu
| alternative form | vergescue |
|---|
Origin of vergescu
From Middle English [Term?], from Old French vierge escu (literally “virgin shield”). It was white because it lacked a background or devices, which celebrated accomplishments, of which the knight had none.
Questions about vergescu
- What does vergescu mean?
- Vergescu means the white shield that was the mark of novice knights, especially in Arthurian legend.
- What part of speech is vergescu?
- Vergescu is a noun.
- How do you pronounce vergescu?
- Vergescu is pronounced /ˈvɝ.d͡ʒɛs.k(j)u/ (US).
Words near vergescu in the dictionary
Source and license
Adapted from Wiktionary: vergescu (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.
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