məntBased on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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hatchment (ˈhætʃmənt) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —n | |
| heraldry Also called: achievement a diamond-shaped tablet displaying the coat of arms of a dead person | |
| [C16: changed from | |
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| the offspring of a zebra and a donkey. |
| a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison. |
hatchment
heraldic memorial to a deceased person. The word is a corruption of achievement, the correct term for the full armorial display of shield, helmet, crest, mantling, wreath, and such additaments as mottoes, supporters, coronets, and compartment as are appropriate. This kind of memorial seems to be restricted mainly to the British Isles, Belgium, and The Netherlands. In England and Belgium the hatchment, or funeral escutcheon, as it is sometimes called, is diamond-shaped, made of wood or canvas in a black-edged frame; on it are emblazoned the arms of the deceased. The hatchment is placed first over the principal entrance of the house in mourning and is moved to the church of burial when the period of mourning is complete (12 months being traditional)
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