noun
or fleur-de-lys |flərd ə l|ē, |flə̄d-, |fləid- also |flu̇rd- or -u̇əd- sometimes -|ēs ; also fleur-de-luce -|üs
( plural fleurs-de-lis or fleur-de-lis or fleurs-de-lys or fleur-de-lys -ərd ə l|ē(z), -ə̄d-, -əid- also -u̇rd- or -u̇əd- sometimes -|ēs ; also fleurs-de-luce -|üs ; or fleur-de-luc·es -|üsə̇z)
Etymology: alteration (influenced by French fleur de lis ) of Middle English flourdelis, from Middle French flor de lis, flour de lis, literally, lily flower
1. : iris II 2 ; especially : the iris chosen for the royal emblem of France by Charles V which prob. belonged to a white-flowered variety ( Iris germanica florentina ) of the German iris
2. : a device common in artistic design and heraldry that is commonly supposed to be a conventionalized representation of an iris and that typically consists of oppositely posed C-scrolls on each side of an elongate lyrate figure, the three being closely juxtaposed or linked across the narrowest part of the scrolls by a horizontal ligature
[s]fleurdli.jpg[/s] [
fleur-de-lis 2
]