pennon: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
LowLiterary, Historical, Heraldic
Quick answer
What does “pennon” mean?
A long, narrow, triangular or swallow-tailed flag, especially one used by a knight on a lance or as a military unit's standard.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A long, narrow, triangular or swallow-tailed flag, especially one used by a knight on a lance or as a military unit's standard.
Any long, narrow flag or streamer; in heraldry, a small flag or banner; figuratively, a symbol of allegiance, identity, or a cause.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning. The word is equally rare and specialised in both varieties.
Connotations
In both varieties, it strongly connotes medievalism, heraldry, and historical romance.
Frequency
Extremely low frequency in both. Slightly more likely to be encountered in British contexts due to stronger traditions of heraldry and local history.
Grammar
How to Use “pennon” in a Sentence
The knight bore a [ADJECTIVE] pennon.A pennon [VERB, e.g., fluttered, was attached] to the lance.Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “pennon” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The lancers were pennoned with the colours of their county.
American English
- The historical society pennoned their float with replicas of medieval flags.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Virtually never used.
Academic
Used in historical, literary, or heraldic studies.
Everyday
Extremely rare; would sound archaic or deliberately poetic.
Technical
Used in heraldry and historical re-enactment contexts.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “pennon”
- Misspelling as 'penon' or 'pennant' (though related). Using it to refer to a modern national flag.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Historically, a pennon was a knight's personal, often pointed or swallow-tailed flag. A pennant is a more general term for a long, tapering flag, often used in nautical contexts. In modern usage, 'pennant' is far more common.
Rarely. It is primarily used in historical, literary, or heraldic contexts. In everyday language, 'flag', 'banner', or 'pennant' would be used instead.
Yes, but it is extremely rare and archaic. It means to furnish or decorate with pennons.
It comes from Old French 'penon', meaning 'small flag', itself from Latin 'penna' meaning 'feather', likely referring to the feather-like shape of the flag.
A long, narrow, triangular or swallow-tailed flag, especially one used by a knight on a lance or as a military unit's standard.
Pennon is usually literary, historical, heraldic in register.
Pennon: in British English it is pronounced /ˈpɛnən/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈpɛnən/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “None specific to the word.”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a PEN writing a long, NARROW (non) flag for a knight. PEN + NON = PENNON.
Conceptual Metaphor
A PENNON IS A SYMBOL OF IDENTITY AND ALLEGIANCE.
Practice
Quiz
What is a 'pennon' most specifically?