Standard Lemma guide

cartouche

noun · 9 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /kɑːˈtuːʃ/
  • Received-Pronunciation: [khɑːˈthʊu̯ʃ]
  • General-American: /kɑɹˈtuʃ/
  • General-American: [khɑɹˈthʊu̯ʃ]
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -uːʃ

1

noun

Meaning 1

An ornamental figure, often on an oval shield.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: architecture

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

An oval figure containing the characters of an important personal name, such as that of royal or divine people.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Qualifier: hieroglyphs

Topics: Egyptology, history, human-sciences, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A decorative emblem on a globe or map.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: cartography, geography, natural-sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

A paper cartridge.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: engineering, firearms, government, military, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, politics, tools, war, weaponry

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

A wooden case filled with balls, to be shot from a cannon.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: engineering, firearms, government, military, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, politics, tools, war, weaponry

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

A gunner's bag for ammunition.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: engineering, firearms, government, military, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, politics, tools, war, weaponry

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

A military pass for a soldier on furlough.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: government, military, politics, war

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

noun

Meaning 8

A parchment disc placed on top of food to limit evaporation, or to prevent a skin forming on soups and stews.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: cooking, food, lifestyle

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

9

noun

Meaning 9

a cartridge (usually with paper casing)

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: cartouch

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: cartridge

History

Etymology

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

Across languages

Translations

46 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 卡圖什 /卡图什 (kǎtúshí) — in architecture
  • Czech: kartuše — in architecture
  • Czech: kartuš — in architecture
  • Danish: kartouche — in architecture
  • Faroese: skreytramma — in architecture
  • Finnish: kartussi — in architecture
  • French: cartouche — in architecture
  • German: Kartusche — in architecture
  • Hungarian: kartus — in architecture
  • Japanese: カルトゥーシュ (karutūshu) — in architecture
  • Korean: 카르투시 (kareutusi) — in architecture
  • Polish: kartusz — in architecture
  • Portuguese: cartela — in architecture
  • Portuguese: cártula — in architecture
  • Russian: карту́ш (kartúš) — in architecture
  • Russian: карте́ль (kartɛ́lʹ) — in architecture
  • Russian: завито́к (zavitók) — in architecture
  • Swedish: kartusch — in architecture
  • Ukrainian: ка́ртуш (kártuš) — in architecture
  • Arabic: خَرْطُوش (ḵarṭūš) — hieroglyphs
  • Chinese Mandarin: 卡圖什 /卡图什 (kǎtúshí) — hieroglyphs
  • Czech: kartuše — hieroglyphs
  • Czech: kartuš — hieroglyphs
  • Danish: kartouche — hieroglyphs
  • Esperanto: kartuŝo — hieroglyphs
  • Egyptian: Sn-n:nw*W-V9 (šnw) — hieroglyphs
  • Faroese: skreytramma — hieroglyphs
  • Finnish: kartussi — hieroglyphs
  • French: cartouche — hieroglyphs
  • German: Kartusche — hieroglyphs
  • Hungarian: kartus — hieroglyphs
  • Japanese: カルトゥーシュ (karutūshu) — hieroglyphs
  • Polish: kartusz — hieroglyphs
  • Russian: карту́ш (kartúš) — hieroglyphs
  • Slovak: kartuša — hieroglyphs
  • Spanish: cartucho — hieroglyphs
  • Swedish: kartusch — hieroglyphs
  • Swedish: kartouche — hieroglyphs
  • Turkish: kartuş — hieroglyphs
  • Esperanto: kartuŝo — on a globe or map
  • Swedish: kardus — paper cartridge
  • Swedish: kartesch — paper cartridge
  • Russian: патро́нный я́щик (patrónnyj jáščik) — a box with ammunition
  • Russian: патронта́ш (patrontáš) — a gunner's bag
  • Russian: патро́нная су́мка (patrónnaja súmka) — a gunner's bag
  • Russian: ляду́нка (ljadúnka) — a gunner's bag