Luce

Flower de Luce. A corruption of fleur-de-lis (q.v.), more anciently written “floure delices,” a corruption of fiordilisa, the white iris. The French messenger says to the Regent Bedford—

“Cropped are the flower de luces in your arms;

Of England’s coat one-half is cut away.”

Shakespeare: 1 Henry VI., i. 1.

referring of course to the loss of France.

¶ The luce or lucy is a full-grown pike. Thus Justice Shallow says—“The luce is the fresh fish, the salt fish is an old coat”—i.e. Lucy is a new name, the old one was Charlecote. (Merry Wives of Windsor, i. 1.) (See Fleurs-de-Lys.)

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Entry taken from Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, edited by the Rev. E. Cobham Brewer, LL.D. and revised in 1895.