car·touche

[kahr-toosh]
noun
1.
Architecture. a rounded, convex surface, usually surrounded with carved ornamental scrollwork, for receiving a painted or low-relief decoration, as an escutcheon.
2.
an oval or oblong figure, as on ancient Egyptian monuments, enclosing characters that represent the name of a sovereign.
3.
the case containing the inflammable materials in certain fireworks.
4.
cartridge ( def 1 ).
5.
a box for cartridges.
Also, car·touch.


Origin:
1605–15; < Middle French < Italian cartoccio, equivalent to cart(a) paper (see carte) + -occio augmentative suffix

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Cartouche is always a great word to know.
So is lunette. Does it mean:
an area of wall enframed by an arch or vault
a sky lit central court in a contemporary building or house; a courtyard, flanked or surrounded by porticoes, in front of an early Christian church
Collins
World English Dictionary
cartouche or cartouch (kɑːˈtuːʃ) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
n
1.  a carved or cast ornamental tablet or panel in the form of a scroll, sometimes having an inscription
2.  an oblong figure enclosing characters expressing royal or divine names in Egyptian hieroglyphics
3.  the paper case holding combustible materials in certain fireworks
4.  rare a cartridge or a box for cartridges
 
[C17: from French: scroll, cartridge, from Italian cartoccio, from carta paper; see card1]
 
cartouch or cartouch
 
n
 
[C17: from French: scroll, cartridge, from Italian cartoccio, from carta paper; see card1]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

cartouche
1611, Fr. form of cartridge (q.v.). Application to Egyptian hieroglyphics dates from 1830, on resemblance to rolled paper cartridges.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia

cartouche

in architecture, ornamentation in scroll form, applied especially to elaborate frames around tablets or coats of arms; by extension, the word is applied to any oval shape or even to a decorative shield, whether scrolled or not. The term is also used for an oval frame enclosing the hieroglyphs of the name of an Egyptian sovereign, as well as for the amulet of similar design worn in ancient Egypt as a protection against the loss of one's name (i.e., one's identity)

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Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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Example sentences
The central pediment is decorated with incised decoration and holds a cartouche
  and clock.
The oval cartouche at the entrance to the chamber features the state flower,
  the apple blossom.
The octagonal pedestal is ornamented with a cartouche on each of its sides.
Centered over the portal is a cartouche with a coat of arms on a diapered
  background.
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