different between ensign vs shield

English

Etymology

From Middle English ensigne, from Old French enseigne, from Latin ?nsignia, nominative plural of ?nsigne. Doublet of insignia.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /??n.s?n/, IPA^(key): /??n.s?n/, /??ns.n?/ IPA^(key): /??n.sa?n/
• Rhymes: -?ns?n

Noun

ensign (plural ensigns)

1. A badge of office, rank, or power.
2. The lowest grade of commissioned officer in the United States Navy, junior to a lieutenant junior grade.
3. A flag or banner carried by military units; a standard or color/colour.

   Synonym: ancient
4. (nautical) The principal flag or banner flown by a ship (usually at the stern) to indicate nationality.
5. Any prominent flag or banner.
   • 1667?, John Milton, Paradise Lost

     Ten thousand thousand ensigns high advanced.

6. (historical) A junior commissioned officer in the 18th and 19th centuries whose duty was to carry the unit's ensign.

Synonyms

• See Thesaurus:badge

(junior commissioned officer):

• coronet (cavalry equivalent of the infantry ensign)
• second lieutenant (OF-1), first NATO commissioned officer grade above OF-0 trainee officer

Derived terms

• ensign first class
• red ensign

Translations

Verb

ensign (third-person singular simple present ensigns, present participle ensigning, simple past and past participle ensigned)

1. (obsolete) To designate as by an ensign.
2. To distinguish by a mark or ornament.
3. (heraldry) To distinguish by an ornament, especially by a crown.

   Any charge which has a crown immediately above or upon it, is said to be ensigned.

Anagrams

• engins, genins

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?i?ld/
• Rhymes: -i?ld

Etymology 1

From Middle English scheld, shelde, from Old English scield (“shield”), from Proto-West Germanic *skeldu, from Proto-Germanic *skelduz (“shield”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kelH- (“cut, split”). Cognate with West Frisian skyld, Dutch schild (“shield”), German Schild (“shield”), Danish skjold (“shield”), Icelandic skjöldur (“shield”) and Faroese skjøldur (“shield”)

Compare Latin sc?tum (“shield”), Irish sciath (“shield”), Latgalian šk?da (“shield”), Lithuanian skydas (“shield”), Russian ??? (š?it, “shield”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kewH- (“to cover, protect”), *skey- (“to cut, split”).

Noun

shield (plural shields)

1. Anything that protects or defends; defense; shelter; protection.
   1. A broad piece of defensive armor, held in hand, formerly in general use in war, for the protection of the body.
   2. (figuratively) One who protects or defends.
   3. (lichenology) In lichens, a hardened cup or disk surrounded by a rim and containing the fructification, or asci.
   4. (mining, tunnelling) A framework used to protect workmen in making an adit under ground, and capable of being pushed along as excavation progresses.
   5. (science fiction) A field of energy that protects or defends.
2. A shape like that of a shield; usually, an inverted triangle with sides that curve inward to form a pointed bottom, commonly used for police identifications and company logos.
   1. (heraldry) The escutcheon or field on which are placed the bearings in coats of arms.
   2. (Scotland, euphemistic, obsolete) A toilet seat.
   3. A spot resembling, or having the form of a shield.
   4. (obsolete) A coin, the old French crown, or écu, having on one side the figure of a shield.
   5. (transport) A sign or symbol, usually containing numbers and sometimes letters, identifying a highway route.
   6. (colloquial, law enforcement) A police badge.
3. (geology) A large expanse of exposed stable Precambrian rock.
   1. (geology) A wide and relatively low-profiled volcano, usually composed entirely of lava flows.
4. (figuratively, Scotland, euphemistic, obsolete) A place with a toilet seat: an outhouse; a lavatory.
5. (automotive, British) Parts at the front and back of a vehicle which are meant to absorb the impact of a collision

Synonyms

• (place with a toilet seat): See Thesaurus:bathroom

Hyponyms

Derived terms

• bitch shield
• rape shield
• shield medick (Medicago scutellata)
• shield wall

Translations

Etymology 2

From Middle English shelden, from Old English scildan.

Verb

shield (third-person singular simple present shields, present participle shielding, simple past and past participle shielded)

1. To protect, to defend.
2. (Britain, intransitive) This term needs a definition. Please help out and add a definition, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.

3. (electricity) to protect from the influence of

Derived terms

• beshield

Translations

Anagrams

• Diehls, delish, hidels, hidles, hields, ledish, sheild