Dictionary

cartouche en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (US) audio
• /kɑɹˈtuʃ/ (General-American)
• [kʰɑɹˈtʰʊu̯ʃ] (General-American)
• [kʰɑːˈtʰʊu̯ʃ] (Received-Pronunciation)
• /kɑːˈtuːʃ/ (Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

Borrowed from French cartouche, from Italian cartuccia, from carta, from Latin charta, from Ancient Greek χάρτης (khártēs). Doublet of cartridge.

Meanings

1. An ornamental figure, often on an oval shield.
2. (qualifier:hieroglyphs) An oval figure containing the characters of an important personal name, such as that of royal or divine people.
   • In 1762, Jean-Jacques Barthélemy, a French priest who was a scholar of Eastern languages, had made the inspired guess that the cartouches set off words of great importance, such as the names of gods or rulers. 2013, Margalit Fox, The Riddle of the Labyrinth, Profile 2014, page 49:
   • Besides the uncial writing on the convex side of the sherd at the top, painted in dull red, on what had once been the lip of the amphora, was the cartouche already mentioned as being on the scarabaeus, which we had also found in the casket. 1887, H. Rider Haggard, chapter 3, in She:
3. A decorative emblem on a globe or map.
4. A paper cartridge.
5. A wooden case filled with balls, to be shot from a cannon.
6. A gunner's bag for ammunition.
7. A military pass for a soldier on furlough.
8. A parchment disc placed on top of food to limit evaporation, or to prevent a skin forming on soups and stews.

Forms

Relateds

escutcheon · serekh

Translations (46)

eo kartuŝo (hieroglyphs) · pt cartela (in architecture) · ru завито́к (in architecture) · sv kardus (paper cartridge) · cs kartuše (in architecture) · sk kartuša (hieroglyphs) · fr cartouche (in architecture) · tr kartuş (hieroglyphs) · ru карте́ль (in architecture) · cs kartuše (hieroglyphs) · ru карту́ш (in architecture) · cmn 卡圖什 /卡图什 (in architecture) · ar خَرْطُوش (hieroglyphs) · ru патро́нная су́мка (a gunner's bag) · ru ляду́нка (a gunner's bag) · fi kartussi (hieroglyphs) · ko 카르투시 (in architecture) · fi kartussi (in architecture) · cs kartuš (in architecture) · da kartouche (hieroglyphs) · uk ка́ртуш (in architecture) · de Kartusche (in architecture) · fo skreytramma (in architecture) · sv kartouche (hieroglyphs) · es cartucho (hieroglyphs) · cs kartuš (hieroglyphs) · ru патро́нный я́щик (a box with ammunition) · pl kartusz (hieroglyphs) · sv kartesch (paper cartridge) · ja カルトゥーシュ (hieroglyphs) · cmn 卡圖什 /卡图什 (hieroglyphs) · eo kartuŝo (on a globe or map) · pt cártula (in architecture) · ru патронта́ш (a gunner's bag) · sv kartusch (in architecture) · pl kartusz (in architecture) · da kartouche (in architecture) · hu kartus (hieroglyphs) · hu kartus (in architecture) · sv kartusch (hieroglyphs) · de Kartusche (hieroglyphs) · ja カルトゥーシュ (in architecture) · egy Sn-n:nw*W-V9 (hieroglyphs) · fr cartouche (hieroglyphs) · ru карту́ш (hieroglyphs) · fo skreytramma (hieroglyphs)