/ kɑːˈtuːʃ; NAmE kɑːr-/ noun
an oblong or oval shape which contains a set of ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs , often representing the name and title of a king or queen
••
WORD ORIGIN
early 17th cent.: from French cartouche (masculine noun), earlier cartoche , from Italian cartoccio , from carta , from Latin carta , charta , from Greek khartēs papyrus leaf.