8 letters · 13 points in Scrabble
noun a tangible symbol signifying approval or distinction
originFirst use appears c. 1591 in the publications of Thomas Lodge, borrowed from French accolade, from Occitan acolada (“an embrace”), from acolar (“to embrace”), from Italian accollato, via Vulgar Latin *accollō (“to hug around the neck”), from Latin ad- + collum (“neck”) (English collar) + -āta.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 3.0