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scudo

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
See also: Scudo

English

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English Wikipedia has an article on:
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Etymology

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Borrowed from Italian scudo (“a crown, a dollar, a shield”), from Latin scutum (“a shield”). Compare the doublets scute, escudo, scutum, and écu.

Noun

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scudo (plural scudos or scudoes or scudi)

  1. (historical) A silver coin and unit of currency of various Italian states from the 16th to the 19th centuries.
    • 2007, Giambattista Basile, translated by Nancy L. Canepa, Tale of Tales, Penguin, page 46:
      And this was the salvation of his house, for several large chunks of plaster cracked off and inside he discovered a pot full of golden scudos.
  2. A former unit of currency in Malta, now the official currency of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta.
  3. (historical) A unit of currency in 19th-century Bolivia, equal to 16 soles.

Anagrams

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Italian

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Italian Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia it
Italian Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia it
Italian Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia it
Uno scudo longobardo – A Langobard shield
Uno scudo francese – A French écu

Etymology

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From earlier *scuto, from Latin scūtum, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *skei- (“to cut, split”), an extension of *sek- (“to cut”).

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /ˈsku.do/
  • Rhymes: -udo
  • Hyphenation: scù‧do

Noun

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scudo m (plural scudi)

  1. shield, specifically:
  2. a broad piece of defensive armor, carried on the arm, formerly in general use in war, for the protection of the body
    • 13th century, Bono Giamboni, “Come la schiera di debbia ordinare acciocchè per battaglia vincere non si possa. Cap. 14. [Chapter 14: How a rank should be positioned so that it cannot be defeated in battle]”, in Dell'arte della guerra [On the Art of War]‎[1], translation of Epitoma Rei Militaris by Publius Flavius Vegetius Renatus, published 1815, page 116:
      Coloro che sono senza scudo, e colle mani gittano le pietre, e lanciano le lance, in questa schiera combattiano
      Those who lack a shield, and, with their hands, throw stones, and throw spears, fought in this rank
    • 1310s, Dante Alighieri, “Canto XXXII”, in Purgatorio [Purgatory]‎[2], lines 19–21; republished as Giorgio Petrocchi, editor, La Commedia secondo l'antica vulgata [The Commedia according to the ancient vulgate]‎[3], 2nd revised edition, Florence: publ. Le Lettere, 1994:
      Come sotto li scudi per salvarsi
      volgesi schiera, e sé gira col segno
      Like a rank [of soldiers] under its shields, to save itself, falls back, and rotates around the insignia
    • 1516, Ludovico Ariosto, “Canto quarto”, in Orlando Furioso [Raging Roland]‎[4], Venice: Printed by Gabriel Giolito, published 1551, page 15:
      Piglia lo scudo (ch'io tel dono) e quello
      Destrier, che va per l’aria così presto
      Take the shield, for I'm giving it to you, and that steed that so swiftly goes through the air
    • 1723, “Libro Ⅺ [11th Book]”, in Anton Maria Salvini, transl., Iliade [Iliad]‎[5], Milan: Giovanni Gaetano Tartini, Santi Franchi, translation of Ἰλιάς (Iliás) by Homer, page 298:
      Sì dicendo, ferì il ritondo scudo,
      Pel lustro scudo andò la greve lancia,
      E si ficcò trall' ingegnoso petto
      Saying this, he broke the round shield. The heavy spear went through the shining shield, and lodged itself in the ingenious chest
    • 1835, Giacomo Leopardi with Alessandro Donati, “IV. Nelle nozze della sorella Paolina”, in Canti‎[6], Bari: Einaudi, published 1917, page 23, lines 73–75:
      spandea le negre chiome
      sul corpo esangue e nudo,
      quando e' reddía nel conservato scudo
      She rested the black hair upon the lifeless, naked body, when he returned upon the saved shield
  3. (by extension) anything that protects or defends; defense; shelter; protection
    • 1300s–1310s, Dante Alighieri, “Canto XXII”, in Inferno [Hell]‎[7], lines 116–117; republished as Giorgio Petrocchi, editor, La Commedia secondo l'antica vulgata [The Commedia according to the ancient vulgate]‎[8], 2nd revised edition, Florence: publ. Le Lettere, 1994:
      Lascisi ’l collo, e sia la ripa scudo,
      a veder se tu sol più di noi vali
      Let's leave the embankment, and let the cliff be a shelter, to see if you alone are better than us
    • c. 1477, Lorenzo de' Medici, Rime, collected in Opere, published 1913, page 265, lines 92–93:
      […] preparato è il petto,
      ché alla infelice è sol la morte scudo
      The bosom is ready, for only Death is shield for the unhappy
    • 1764, Cesare Beccaria, “Ⅸ. Accuse segrete [9. Secret Accusations]”, in Dei delitti e delle pene [On Crimes and Punishments]‎[9], Paris: Dal Molini, published 1780, page 37:
      Chi può difendersi dalla calunnia, quando ella è armata dal più forte scudo della tirannia, il segreto?
      Who can defend themselves from slander, when it is armed by secrecy, the strongest shield of tyranny?
    • 1799, Vittorio Alfieri, “Sonetto ⅩⅥ [Sonnet 16]”, in Misogallo [The French-Hater]‎[10], London, page 70, lines 1–2:
      È Repubblica il suolo, ove divine
      Leggi son base a umane leggi, e scudo
      Republic is that land where divine laws are base, and shield, for human laws
  4. (figurative, poetic) defender, protector
    • 13th century, Guittone d'Arezzo, “197. La fortezza”, in [11], collected in Le rime di Guittone d'Arezzo, Bari: Laterza, published 1940, page 246, lines 10–11:
      tu d’amadori scudo, und’è vittora
      che non piò re che grilli in timor hai
      You, defender of the lovers, where you're victorious, for you don't fear kings any more than you do crickets
    • 1374, Francesco Petrarca, Il Canzoniere‎[12], Florence: Andrea Bettini, published 1858, page 384, lines 4–5:
      O saldo scudo dell’afflitte genti
      Contra’ colpi di Morte e di Fortuna
      Oh, you steady shield of the troubled, against the blows of Death and Fortune
  5. (heraldry) the escutcheon or field on which are placed the bearings in coats of arms
  6. (geology) a large expanse of exposed stable Precambrian rock
  7. (numismatics) used to designate various monetary units, specifically:
    1. (historical) a gold or silver coin minted in Italy bearing the image of a shield; scudo
      • 16th century, Vincenzo Borghini, Della moneta fiorentina‎[14], Florence: Pietro Gaet. Viviani, published 1755, page 227, collected in Discorsi di monsignore D. Vincenzio Borghini - parte seconda:
        Onde si vede i Fiorini, e i Ducati, […] ed oggi gli Scudi con gli Scudi esser tutti del medesimo peso.
        Thus one can see how the florins, the ducats, and, today, the scudos all have the same weight.
        (literally, “Thus it can be seen the florins, and the ducats, and today the scudos with the scudos being all of the same weight.”)
      • 1750s, Carlo Goldoni, “Atto primo, Scena Ⅵ [First Act, Scene 6]”, in La dama prudente [The Careful Lady]‎[15], collected in Raccolta di commedie scelte dell'avvocato C. Goldoni, tomo Ⅶ, published 1819, page 191:
        Sette scudi? Sette scudi in fattura? Io con sette scudi mi faccio un abito, e pretenderebbe ch’io li pagassi?
        Seven scudos? Seven scudos in the bill? For seven scudos I can get a suit, and she expects me to pay as much?
      • 1840, Alessandro Manzoni, I promessi sposi‎[16], Tip. Guglielmini e Redaelli, Capitolo, pages 554–555:
        non aveva fatta la confidenza a nessuno, fuorché a don Abbondio; dal quale andava, volta per volta, a farsi spicciolare uno scudo
        She hadn't mentioned it to anyone, except for don Abbondio, to whom she went, time after time, to get change of a scudo
    2. (historical, by extension) any similar coin of non-Italian mintage; écu, escudo
    3. (historical) a silver coin minted in Italy valued at 5 lire. [18th c. – c. 1918]
  8. (historical, Rome) a 5000-lira banknote
  9. (Rome) a 5-euro banknote

Derived terms

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Descendants

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  • → English: scudo
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