What does seme mean?
Seme is a rare English noun with two notable senses. In heraldry, it denotes a border or bordure around a shield, often bearing a repeated series of charges such as fleurs-de-lis or small roundels. The word is specialized rather than everyday, so modern readers are most likely to encounter it in descriptions of coats of arms. In older or obsolete usage, seme means a seed. This older sense reflects the word's Latin ancestry and once suited botanical discussion, although it has largely been replaced by seed in modern English. Pronounced with a long e sound, seme can look tempting but unusual; context is crucial because it does not mean a seam despite the similar spelling. Although its range is narrow, the word is useful to anyone reading heraldic or historical texts: it names both a minute unit of propagation and one of the deliberately embellished edges of a coat of arms. Its rarity also makes it a memorable example of how English preserves specialized technical vocabulary long after ordinary speakers have stopped using it.
nounIn heraldry, a border or bordure surrounding a shield, especially one decorated with repeated charges. Historically, it also meant a seed.
- Heraldry: a border or bordure surrounding a shield, often charged with repeated ornaments or other heraldic devices.
- Archaic or obsolete: a seed.
"A narrow seme of fleurs-de-lis frames the escutcheon."
"A narrow seme of fleurs-de-lis frames the escutcheon."
"The botanist noted that every seme had been carefully separated from the capsule."
The plural is semes, though plural use is now chiefly historical or specialist.
"An eighteenth-century glossary describes the small semes as the plant's propagating bodies."
From “seed” to the decorated border of a shield, seme is a corner case of English—literally.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does seme come from?
Seme entered English through Middle English from Latin sēmen, seminis, meaning “seed.” Its heraldic development was influenced by French semé, “strewn” or “seeded,” a heraldic term for a field or border scattered with repeated charges. Its history therefore spans both older botanical vocabulary and the specialized descriptive language of coats of arms.
Related word forms
How seme is actually used
Seme is now rare and specialist. Its heraldic sense occurs chiefly in formal descriptions of coats of arms, while its meaning “seed” is obsolete or historical and survives mainly in older botanical and general literature.
Easily confused with seme
A seam is a line where two pieces of material join, whereas seme is a rare heraldic border or, historically, a seed.
Semé is a heraldic adjective meaning strewn or scattered with repeated charges, while seme is a noun naming a border or, historically, a seed.