Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A small pennon, flag, or streamer borne on a lance.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun Same as pennon
  • noun In heraldry, a very small flag resembling a pennon in shape and use.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun A small pennon borne on a lance. See pencel.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A pencel.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a small pennant borne on a lance

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English penoncel, from Old French, diminutive of penon, pennon; see pennon.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Old French penoncel. See pennant.

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Examples

  • This whole glittering army, at their head the King's great royal standard bearing the golden lilies of France quartered with the lions of England, and each troop guided by the square banner, swallow-tailed pennon or pointed pennoncel of their leader, came marching to the gates of Calais, above which floated the blue standard of France with its golden flowers, and with it the banner of the governor, Sir Jean de Vienne.

    A Book of Golden Deeds 1864

  • England, and each troop guided by the square banner, swallow-tailed pennon or pointed pennoncel of their leader, came marching to the gates of Calais, above which floated the blue standard of France with its golden flowers, and with it the banner of the governor, Sir Jean de

    A Book of Golden Deeds Charlotte Mary Yonge 1862

Comments

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  • a small pennant or flag carried at the end of a lance.

    October 31, 2007

  • Has the same root as pennant.

    October 31, 2007

  • Just guessed this right on www.freerice.com. Who knew.

    January 11, 2008

  • Or a tiny, abbreviated pencil.

    January 11, 2008

  • The tip of his lance bore the token

    Of love both unbid and unspoken,

    And Merlin could tell

    By that bright pennoncel

    Both lance and his heart would be broken.

    For more on Gwen and Lance see ween.

    November 5, 2014