In heraldry, a circle or ring, often used as a charge (symbol) in coats of arms.
From Old French cercele, derived from Latin circellus, a diminutive of circus meaning 'circle.' The term was used in medieval heraldry to describe circular charges in shield designs.
Medieval heraldry used simple shapes like the cercelee to represent noble families, and because there were so many noble families, they had to combine shapes in increasingly wild ways—some coats of arms look like they were designed by someone playing with stickers.
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