bezant

bezant — noun

1. A gold coin that was first produced in the Byzantine Empire and later became a s

1.名詞B2
釋義

A gold coin that was first produced in the Byzantine Empire and later became a standard form of payment across much of medieval Europe.

例句

Archaeologists found a hoard of bezants buried near an old monastery in southern France.

countable noun with 'a hoard of'

A single bezant could buy a horse and a set of armour in thirteenth-century London.

used to express historical purchasing power

同義詞
  • solidus

    This was the original Latin name for the same Byzantine gold coin; 'solidus' is more precise in Roman-era contexts, while 'bezant' was the medieval European term.

  • nomisma

    The Greek name for the standard Byzantine gold coin; used in Byzantine historical sources rather than Western medieval records.

  • hyperpyron

    A later Byzantine gold coin that replaced the bezant/solidus from the 11th century onward; less widely circulated in Western Europe.

文法句型

a bezant

bezants (plural)

用法筆記

Often appears in writing about medieval trade routes and Byzantine culture. The alternative spelling 'besant' occurs in some older English texts.

常見錯誤

❌She paid for coffee with a bezant.
✅She paid for bread with a bezant in the medieval market.
💡Bezants are not used in modern payment systems; the word belongs to historical contexts only.

2. A circular, flat piece of stone or other material used as a repeating decorative

2.名詞C1
釋義

A circular, flat piece of stone or other material used as a repeating decorative element on the surface of a building, especially in Romanesque and Norman architecture.

例句

Rows of carved bezants run along the top edge of the cathedral's main doorway.

used with 'rows of' to describe a repeating pattern

The architect added a band of gilded bezants to the church's stone frame above the entrance.

同義詞
  • disk

    A general term for any flat round shape; 'disk' lacks the specific architectural and historical associations that 'bezant' carries.

  • roundel

    A circular ornamental motif that can refer to a wider range of decorative contexts, not limited to Romanesque/Norman stonework.

文法句型

a bezant

bezants (plural)

bezant motif

用法筆記

Typically found as part of a repeating decorative band (a 'bezant frieze') in Romanesque or Norman architecture. Not to be confused with 'billet' (a rectangular block) or 'chevron' (a V-shaped pattern) — all three are distinct Romanesque ornamental motifs.

常見錯誤

❌The bezant on my kitchen counter fell off.
✅The stone bezant on the church tower was damaged in last winter's storm.
💡In architecture, a bezant is a decorative disk on a building, not a household object.