What does escudo mean?
An escudo is a unit of currency whose name derives from the Spanish and Portuguese word for 'shield'. It served as the official monetary unit of Portugal from 1911 until 2002, when Portugal adopted the euro as part of the European Monetary Union, making the escudo one of many national currencies retired by that transition. The escudo survives today as the official currency of Cape Verde, the Atlantic island nation off West Africa, where it remains legal tender and is subdivided into 100 centavos. Because the word refers to money rather than an object in everyday use, English speakers encounter it chiefly in historical, economic, or travel contexts — in discussions of pre-euro prices, numismatics, or West African finance. The plural may be written either 'escudo' or 'escudos'. Related terms such as 'escutcheon' and the Italian 'scudo' share the same underlying image: a shield stamped like a coin.
A former monetary unit of Portugal, equal to 100 centavos, which circulated from 1911 until the adoption of the euro in 2002.
"He exchanged his leftover escudos at the central bank shortly after the changeover."
Use past-tense verbs when referring to the Portuguese escudo, since it is no longer in circulation.
The present-day monetary unit of Cape Verde, equal to 100 centavos.
"Tourists arriving in Praia typically convert euros to Cape Verdean escudos."
Present-tense verbs are appropriate here, as this currency remains in active use.
Both 'escudo' and 'escudos' occur as plurals in English; 'escudos' is the more common anglicized form, though 'escudo' is acceptable when treating the word invariantly.
"The antique shop displayed banknotes ranging from fifty to ten thousand escudos."
Before Portugal joined the euro in 2002, its coins literally bore a name meaning 'shield' — a monetary legacy that lives on today in the Atlantic nation of Cape Verde.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of escudo
Escudo entered English from Spanish and Portuguese, in which it means 'shield'. Both languages derived the word from Latin scutum, the large rectangular shield carried by Roman legionaries. The term was applied to coinage because early gold and silver coins bore a shield design on their faces, much like other shield-named currencies across Europe. Cognates include the Italian scudo and English escutcheon, all tracing back to that same Latin root for a soldier's defensive armor.
How escudo is actually used
The word functions as both singular and plural in careful English usage, though 'escudos' is widely accepted as the plural. When referring to the historical Portuguese currency, past tense framing ('was', 'were') is typical; when referring to the Cape Verdean currency, present tense applies.
Easily confused with escudo
A scudo was the historical currency of Italy and Malta, whereas the escudo was the currency of Portugal and Cape Verde.
An escutcheon is a heraldic shield or a protective plate around a keyhole, while an escudo is a unit of money — both derive from the same root meaning 'shield'.