MOT'TO, noun Primarily, a word; but more commonly, a sentence or phrase prefixed to an essay or discourse, containing the subject of it, or added to a device. In heraldry, the motto is carried in a scroll, alluding to the bearing or to the name of the bearer, or expressing some important idea.
Source: Webster's 1828 American Dictionary ↗ · public-domain · returned verbatim, no AI