scudo

Borrowed from Italian scudo (“a crown, a dollar, a shield”), from Latin scutum (“a shield”). Compare the doublets scute, escudo, scutum, 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, Nancy L. Canepa, translating Giambattista Basile, Tale of Tales, Penguin 2007, p. 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 Latin scūtum, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *skei- (“to cut, split”), an extension of *sek- (“to cut”).

• IPA^(key): /ˈsku.do/, [ˈs̪kuːd̪o]
• Rhymes: -udo
• Stress: scùdo
• Hyphenation: scu‧do

scudo m (plural scudi)

1. shield, specifically:
   1. A broad piece of defensive armor, carried on the arm, formerly in general use in war, for the protection of the body.
   2. (by extension) Anything that protects or defends; defense; shelter; protection.
   3. (figuratively) One who protects or defends.
   4. (heraldry) The escutcheon or field on which are placed the bearings in coats of arms.
   5. (geology) A large expanse of exposed stable Precambrian rock.
2. (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
   2. (historical, by extension) Any similar coin of non-Italian mintage; écu, escudo
   3. (historical) A silver coin minted in Italy valued at 5 lira. [18th c. – c. 1918]
   4. (historical, Rome) A 5000-lira banknote.
   5. (Rome) A 5-euro banknote.

• levata di scudi (“outcry”)
• scudato
• scudetto
• scudiero
• scudocrociato

• → English: scudo