scudo

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

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.

• docus, doucs

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

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

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
   • 13^th 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]‎, 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

   • early-mid 1310s–mid 1310s, Dante Alighieri, “Canto XXXII”, in Purgatorio [Purgatory]‎, lines 19–21; republished as Giorgio Petrocchi, editor, La Commedia secondo l'antica vulgata [The Commedia according to the ancient vulgate]‎, 2^nd 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]‎, 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 [11^th Book]”, in Anton Maria Salvini, transl., Iliade [Iliad]‎, 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, 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
   • mid 1300s–mid 1310s, Dante Alighieri, “Canto XXII”, in Inferno [Hell]‎, lines 116–117; republished as Giorgio Petrocchi, editor, La Commedia secondo l'antica vulgata [The Commedia according to the ancient vulgate]‎, 2^nd 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]‎, 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]‎, 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
   • 13^th century, Guittone d'Arezzo, “197. La fortezza”, in , 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, 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
   • 16^th century, Vincenzo Borghini, Dell'arme delle famiglie fiorentine‎, Florence: Pietro Gaet. Viviani, published 1755, page 93, collected in Discorsi di monsignore D. Vincenzio Borghini - parte seconda:

     […] dividendo per traverso lo scudo, e colorando la parte di sopra, e di sotto del leone

     […] dividing the escutcheon diagonally, and colouring/coloring the part above, and below, the lion

   • 1913, “Stemmi negli antichi vessilli sabaudi”, in Rivista del Collegio Araldico, Rome, page 215:

     Due rami d’oro decussati sotto la punta dello scudo.

     Two decussate golden branches under the tip of the escutcheon.

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
      • 16^th century, Vincenzo Borghini, Della moneta fiorentina‎, 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]‎, 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, 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

• scudiero

• → English: scudo