noun
also bes·ant ˈbez ə nt, bə̇ˈzant ; or byz·ant ˈbiz ə nt, bə̇ˈzant
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English besand, besant, from Old French besant, from Medieval Latin Byzantius Byzantine, from Byzantium, ancient city (now Istanbul, Turkey)
1. : the Byzantine gold solidus as designated in western Europe where it circulated up to the 16th century
2. : a flat disk used in architectural ornament sometimes as one of many overlapping circular scales arranged in a single row (as in a molded jamb or archivolt)
3. heraldry : a roundel or