bruised

or, a cross between four squirrels sejant, gules . . . argent, a lion rampant, gules, bruised with a bendlet, or, Branch. […] On the summit is the quartered shield of Stewart, consisting of 23 coats of arms: […] 2, the same with an escotcheon of pretence, argent, a lion rampant gules, bruised by a staff ragulée in bend, or, Steward; […]

1807, Francis Blomefield, An Essay Towards a Topographical History of the County of Norfolk: Gallow and Brothercross. Blofield. Clackclose, page 381:


shafted

en-adj

shafted (comparative more shafted, superlative most shafted)

more shafted (comparative)
most shafted (superlative)

Arms Azure, a hart's head cabossed and attired or, between the attires a dirk ppr. shafted gules, point downwards.

1907, The "Old Northwest" Genealogical Quarterly, page 169:

[…] a dexter cubit arm, in armour, ppr., garnished or, gules, cinctured with a bracelet, sa., holding a Danish battle-axe, proper, shafted gules, garnished or, for WOLRICH.

1852, Bernard Burke, A genealogical and heraldic dictionary of the landed gentry of Great Britain & Ireland for 1852, page 1287:

(heraldry, of a spear, axe, dagger, etc) Having a shaft (or handle) of a specified tincture, typically different from the head.


cruse

cruses (plural)
cruise (alternative)
cruze (alternative rare)

From Middle English crouse, from Old English crūse (“jar, cruse”), from Proto-West Germanic *krūsā, from Proto-Germanic *krūsǭ, *krūsaz (“jar, pot, collar, jug”). Cognate with German Krause (“pot with a lid”), Icelandic krús (“jar, jug”). Merged with Middle English croo (“pot, pitcher”), from Old English crōg (“crock, pitcher, vessel”). More at crock.

inh

With a thought I tooke for Maudline
& a cruse of cockle pottage.
with a thing thus tall, skie blesse you all:
I befell into this dotage.

c. 1620, anonymous, “Tom o’ Bedlam’s Song” in Giles Earle his Booke (British Museum, Additional MSS. 24, 665)

He had dipped ungenerously into a generous mother’s purse; basely and recklessly spilt her little cruse.

1848 November – 1850 December, William Makepeace Thackeray, chapter 21, in The History of Pendennis. […], volume (please specify |volume=I or II), London: Bradbury and Evans, […], published 1849–1850, →OCLC:

(religion, heraldry or obsolete) A small jar used to hold liquid, such as oil or water.


saltire

From Middle English sawtoure, from Old French sautoir (“stile, saltire”) (compare French sautoir (“saltire”)), from sauter (“to jump, to leap”) + -oir (subject forming nouns denoting physical objects from verbs), from Latin saltāre (“to dance, to jump”) + -orium, -oria.

(heraldry) An ordinary (geometric design) in the shape of an X. It usually occupies the entire field in which it is placed.


dovetail

dovetails (plural)
dove-tail (alternative)
dufftail (alternative)

The noun is derived from dove + tail. The verb is derived from the noun.

I ſhall add other tvvo Forms of Lines, […] The firſt of theſe tvvo is termed Patee, or Dove-Tail, from a Form of Art uſed by Joiners, vvho make Joints one into the other by that Name: […]

1722, Alexander Nisbet, “Of the Points and Parts of the Shield; and Forms of Lines, which Divide the Shield into Several Parts”, in A System of Heraldry Speculative and Practical: […], Edinburgh: […] J. MackEuen, →OCLC, page 23:

ASSEMBLEE, [in Heraldry,] a Dovetail or more to hold the tvvo Parts of the Eſcutcheon together, vvhere the Partition Line is, being countercharged, is ſome of the Metal and ſome of the Colour of the Eſcutcheon.

1736, John Harris, “ASSEMBLEE”, in Lexicon Technicum: Or, An Universal English Dictionary of Arts and Sciences: […], 5th edition, volume I, London: […] J. Walthoe, […], →OCLC, column 2:

The ninth is Quarterly per Pale dovetail, Ruby and Topaz; born by the Right Hon. Thomas Bromley, Lord Montfort, &c.

1765, Mark Anthony Porny [pseudonym; Antoine Pyron du Martre], “Of the Charges. Article I. Of Honourable Ordinaries.”, in The Elements of Heraldry, […], London: […] J[ohn] Newbery, […], →OCLC, section II (Of the Pale), page 47:

(heraldry) A line resembling a dovetail joint (sense 2.1).

klínová stínka

(heraldry) line resembling a dovetail joint


crampon

(heraldry) A heraldic figure in the form of a bar bent at the ends into the form of a hook.


regardant

/ɹɪˈɡɑːdn̩t/

From Middle English regardant, from Anglo-Norman regardant, Middle French regardant.

The dog was waiting for him, her paws on the second tread, pere regardant with a happy lolling tongue.

1956, Anthony Burgess, Time for a Tiger (The Malayan Trilogy), published 1972, page 25:

I see a forked beast squatting on the midden of the world, red-eyed, regardant, gnawing on a shinbone: poor, dumb destroyer.

(heraldry, of an animal) With the head turned toward the back of the body.


lambrequin

lambrequins (plural)
lambrekin (alternative)

Borrowed from French lambrequin, from Middle French lambequin, from Middle Dutch lepperkijn, lappekijn, from Old Dutch lappakīn (“little cloth”). Compare modern English lapkin.

(heraldry) A heraldic representation of such an item, often used as drapery around a coat of arms.


armorial

armoriall (alternative)
armourial (alternative)

Mute Memento of that union
In a Saxon Church survives,
Where a cross-legged Knight lies sculptured
As between two wedded Wives—
Figures with armorial signs of race and birth,
And the vain rank the Pilgrims bore while yet on earth.

1835, William Wordsworth, The Armenian Lady's Love, Stanza 26, lines 151-156:

The Metropolitan District Railway did not at any time employ an armorial device on its rolling stock, though one was frequently displayed on its maps and timetables.

1950 June, Michael Robbins, “Heraldry of London Underground Railways”, in Railway Magazine, page 381:

Nick found a set of Trollope which had a relatively modest and approachable look among the rest, and took down The Way We Live Now, with an armorial bookplate, the pages uncut.

2004, Alan Hollinghurst, chapter 3, in The Line of Beauty […], London: Picador, →ISBN:

(heraldry) Of, or relating to heraldry, or to heraldic arms.


clarion

The noun is derived from Middle English clarion, clarioun (“trumpet with a narrow tube and a shrill sound, clarion; clarion player”) [and other forms], from Old French claron, clarïon (“clarion”) [and other forms], from Medieval Latin clāriōn, clario, clārōn (“clarion; trumpet”), from Latin clārus (“audible; clear, distinct, loud; (visually) bright, clear”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *kelh₁- (“to call, summon; to cry”).
The adjective is from an attributive use of the noun.

nb...

clarionne, clarioune, claryon, claryoun, claryoune, claryounn, claryounne, claryowne

der

(heraldry) A charge thought to represent a type of wind instrument, a keyboard instrument like a spinet, or perhaps a rest used by a knight to support a lance during jousting.


disclosed

Azure, a harpy with her wings disclosed, her hair flotant or, armed of the same. This coat stands in Huntingdon church.

1854, Hugh Clark, Thomas Wormull, An Introduction to Heraldry, page 137:

Culcheth of Culcheth: argent, an eagle disclosed, preyant on a child in a mantle gules, wattled or. This is the crest of Stanley, well known in Lancashire as the bird and bantling.

1880, Thomas Spencer Baynes, The Encyclopaedia Britannica: A Dictionary of Arts, Sciences, and General Literature, page 700:

Guillim [in Display of Heraldry] shows another coat of arms, a shield with "a Harpey disclosed in her wings."

1967, Colin Clair, Unnatural History: An Illustrated Bestiary:

(heraldry, of wings) Expanded, spread; (of a winged creature) with its wings extended or spread.


vair

en-noun

vair (countable and uncountable, plural vairs)

From Middle English veir, veire, from Old French vair, veir, from the accusative singular masculine form of Latin varius (“variegated”).

(heraldry) An heraldic fur formed by a regular tessellation of bell shapes in two colours, (for example in the image, blue and white).


indented

en-adj

indented (comparative more indented, superlative most indented)

more indented (comparative)
most indented (superlative)

an indented border or ordinary

(heraldry) Notched like the part of a saw consisting of the teeth; serrated.


morne

non-rhotic, without the horse–hoarse merger


shadowed

[...] 2d and 3d Gules, a Man's Heart proper, Shadowed Or, betwixt three Cinquefoils Ermine, for Hamilton […]

1722, Alexander Nisbet, A System of Heraldry Speculative and Practical, page 394:

The supporters have rede collares about there nekes "bordered with gold, and are vert" shadowed gules and blew, proper, like parates.

1862, Thomas Tonge, Heraldic Visitation of the Northern Counties in 1530, page 27:

Consequently, a month later, by the Maid's desire, the King gave to Guy de Cailly a grant of new arms on a field azure, three heads of cherubim, winged, bearded in flame-colour, which is or shadowed with gules.

Armorial bearings (L.O., 1678-9) Quarterly 1 and 4, gules a mullet argent between three cinquefoils ermine; 2 and 3 gules, a man's heart proper shadowed or, between three cinquefoils ermine, all within a bordure argent[…]

1910, Arthur Charles Fox-Davies, Armorial Families: A Directory of Gentlemen of Coat-armour, page 116:

(heraldry) Depicted with shading, as if showing areas in shadow.


debased

debased (comparative more debased, superlative most debased)

more debased (comparative)
most debased (superlative)

For quotations using this term, see Citations:debased.

(heraldry) Abased, abaissé: (of a charge) borne lower than usual.


couché

Borrowed from French couché, past participle of coucher (“to lay, to lay down”). Doublet of couchant and collocate.

Azure, semé of tratti or billets couché or, two lions passant in pale of the same.

1866, The Herald and Genealogist, page 77:

3rd, to sinister—on a shield couché a lion rampant within a bordure charged with eight roses, behind the shield a pastoral staff in pale, for Bishop Columba de Dunbar, being his arms and "baculum pastorale." […] Sir David Dunbar of Cockburn, said to be a son or grandson of George, tenth Earl. Seal, 12th December 1452,—on a shield couché, a lion rampant within a bordure charged with eight roses or stars; […]

1881, Robert Riddle Stodart, Scottish Arms: Being a Collection of Armorial Bearings, A.D. 1370-1678, Reproduced in Fascimile from Contemporary Manuscripts, page 11:

Argent, semé of billets couches azure, a lion rampant gules, crowned or, Lordship of GEROLDSECK.

1896, John Woodward, A Treatise on Heraldry, British and Foreign: With English and French Glossaries, page 114:

Andrew, Lord Avandale, bore on his seal a shield couché quartered : 1st , a lion rampant within a royal tressure […]

1909, James Balfour Paul, The Scots Peerage: Founded on Wood's Edition of Sir Robert Douglas's Peerage of Scotland; Containing an Historical and Genealogical Account of the Nobility of that Kingdom, page 519:

A heater - shield of Savoy (Gules, a cross argent) couché, with helm, mantling, and crest of a lion's head between two wings;

1916, Francis Pierrepont Barnard, The Casting-counter and the Counting-board: A Chapter in the History of Numismatics and Early Arithmetic, page 123:

A chevron couché is one which emerges from one side of the escutcheon and has its apex on the opposite side, or at the fess point.

Gules, a chevron couché (or issuant from the dexter flank) argent, is the coat of MARSCHALCK. (Plate VII., fig. 5.) Gules , a chevron reversed argent, is the coat of the Bavarian Barons RUMLINGEN DE BERG; and of[…]

1896, John Woodward, A Treatise on Heraldry, British and Foreign: With English and French Glossaries, page 148:

(heraldry, of a chevron) Couched: issuing from the side of the shield rather than the bottom or top.


couchant

From Middle English couchant, from Middle French couchant.

His crest was covered with a couchant Hownd, / And all his armour seem'd of antique mould […]

1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book III, Canto II”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:

(heraldry) Represented as crouching with the head raised.

liggande

represented as crouching with the head raised


montant

[…] as it is usually designated, the 'crescent montant,' has long been a symbol of the Turkish empire, which has thus[…]

1873, Harper's New Monthly Magazine, page 178:

The eagle montant, to borrow a term from falconry, is understood to typify the mythical phœnix, and may be regarded as alluding to the vicissitudes of that illustrious and ever-resurgent family.[…]

2018 January 31, R. D. Blackmore, Delphi Complete Works of R. D. Blackmore (Illustrated), Delphi Classics, →ISBN:

(heraldry) Ascending toward the chief of the escutcheon.


incensed

incensed (comparative more incensed, superlative most incensed)

more incensed (comparative)
most incensed (superlative)

[…] between two lions passant azure, incensed gules, three besants;[…]

1861, George Oliver, The History of the City of Exeter, page 211:

Argent, a lion rampant gules, incensed azure;

1920, History of the Family of Maunsell (Mansell, Mansel), page 428:

Supporters — Dexter, a lion argent; sinister, a panther guardant argent semy of roundels vert azure and gules incensed proper both gorged with a collar attached thereto a chain reflexed over the back and terminating in a ring or.

2020 April 20, Susan Morris, Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage 2019, eBook Partnership, →ISBN, page 2996:

(heraldry, of a panther, lion, etc) Emitting fire from its mouth, often its ears, and sometimes elsewhere.


fourche

fourchee (alternative)
fourchée (alternative)
fourché (alternative)
fourchy (alternative)
furché (alternative)
furchy (alternative)

Borrowed from French fourché. Doublet of furcate and fork.

(heraldry) Having the ends forked or branched, and the ends of the branches terminating abruptly as if cut off; said of an ordinary, especially of a cross.


embattled

embattled (comparative more embattled, superlative most embattled)

more embattled (comparative)
most embattled (superlative)

From embattle (“to furnish with battlements”) + -ed.

suffix

Argent, a Feſs embattled and tvvo Eſtoils in Chief, Sable, is born by the Name of Tvvyne, and vvas atteſted to belong (and vvas confirm'd) to Tvvyne of Preſton in the County of Lancaſter, Eſquire, […]

1724, John Guillim, chapter II, in A Display of Heraldry. […], 6th edition, London: […] T. W. for R. and J. Bonwicke and R. Wilkin, […] [a]nd J. Walthoe and Tho[mas] Ward, […], →OCLC, 2nd part (Honor Civil), [part I […]], page 87, column 1:

All theſe bearings have different Epithets, ſerving either to expreſs their Poſition, Diſpoſition, or Make, viz. […] Tovvers covered, embattled, &c. […]

1765, Mark Anthony Porny [pseudonym; Antoine Pyron du Martre], “Of Common Charges Born in Coats-of-arms. Article II. Of Artificial Figures Born in Coats-of-arms.”, in The Elements of Heraldry, […], London: […] J[ohn] Newbery, […], →OCLC, pages 147–148:

There are but three irregular lines mentioned in Glover's Roll, viz: 1. Undée (ondée) or wavy, 2. Engrailed, and 3. Indented or Dancettée. Later heralds have added three more: Invecked (the exact converse of Engrailed), Nebulée, and Embattled.

1852, J[ames] R[obinson] Planché, “Subordinate Ordinaries”, in The Pursuivant of Arms, or Heraldry Founded upon Facts, London: W. N. Wright, […], →OCLC, page 60:

(by extension, heraldry) Having an upper edge or outline of alternating square indentations and extensions like battlements, unless the embattled item is a pale, cross or saltire, in which case it has the crenelations on all sides.

tindesnit

having an edge or outline of alternating square indendations and extensions like battlements


embattle

From Middle English enbatelen, enbatailen, from Old French *embastiller ("to fortify"; > Middle Latin imbataliare, imbattajare), from en- + + bastiller (“to build, fortify, embattle”). More at baste.

gloss

Again, it can be drawn with the angle of the limbs being greater or less than a right angle, but they will appear to conflict with the embattles which have to be rectangular. In some ordinaries such as the fess, there must be an odd number of embattles, otherwise it will start high and end low [...]

1996, Anthony Wood, Heraldic Art and Design, page 53:

(heraldry) A merlon, or a single one of the series of solid projections of a battlement.


heraldric

en-adj

heraldric (comparative more heraldric, superlative most heraldric)

more heraldric (comparative)
most heraldric (superlative)

(heraldry) Of, or relating to heraldry; heraldic.


flory

From French fleuri (“covered with flowers”), past participle of fleurir. See flourish for more.

(heraldry, of a bordure, etc) Decorated with fleurs-de-lis projecting from it.

(heraldry, of a cross) Having the ends of the arms turn into fleurs-de-lis, rather than having fleurs-de-lis attached to the ends as in a cross floretty.


counterflory

counter-flory (alternative)
counterfleury (alternative)

From French contrefleuri; equivalent to counter- + flory.

(heraldry) Decorated with fleurs-de-lis or other floral motifs arranged in pairs opposite each other, especially on opposite sides of a border on a shield or banner.


tressure

From Middle English tressour, from a mixture of Old French tressure and tresseor. By surface analysis, tress + -ure.

(heraldry) A narrow border near the edge of a shield or banner.


chapé

(heraldry) A division of the field, used in French heraldry, created by drawing two lines from the centre of the upper edge of the shield towards the outer bottom edges (creating a triangle), with the tincture being applied to the two upper portions which the triangle divides.


confronté

From French confronté (“confronted”), past participle of confronter (“to confront”).

(heraldry, of two animals) Face-to-face; facing each other; fornenst.


ermines

ermins (alternative)
ermynes (alternative)

Attested in this form (with s) since at least 1562, in Legh's Accedens of Armorie, which defines it ("Sable poudred with Argent, … Ermines is his proper name") and contrasts it with both ermine and erminois. Related to ermine, but the derivation is unclear; the OED suggests "possibly [from] OF. herminès, pl. of herminet" (a supposed diminutive of hermine); modern French calls the fur contre-hermine.
The Fifteenth Century Book of Arms (c. 1460) uses ermyne in a way that sometimes contrasts with ermyn (“ermine”) ("John Garther beryth of ix pecys ermyñ and ermyne"); The Ancestor says the image of that blazon "shows the furs as those usually called at this date erminees (or erminee) and ermine—erminees being ermine with the colour reversed. It is evident that the maker of this roll, whose blazonry is sadly to seek, was uncertain by what name to call the ermine with the black field and white tails. On a later page of this MS. [fo. 59] we find ermine described as ermyñ and its reverse as ermyne)." The Middle English Dictionary defines that use of ermyne as "having the fur ermines, consisting of black with white spots (instead of black on white)", although they derive it from, and it appears to be, erminé ("ermined") instead, hence the Fifteenth Century Book also records a bend "sabyll ermyne" and a lion sable with "ermyne appon the sabyll".

He beareth Or, a Cheuron Checkey Ermin & Ermines.

1572, John Bossewell, Workes of Armorie, II, 129:

(heraldry): In blazon, coloured with a heraldic fur of a black field with white spots; counter-ermine.

kontrahermelin

of black colour with white spots on a coat of arms


surmounted

Argent, a fess vert, surmounted by a saltier gules, by the name of Parveis.

1846, William Newton, Display of Heraldry, page 75:

(heraldry) Overlaid; denoting a figure when another is laid over it.


seeded

A rose in heraldry is a five-petalled one, and the five leaves and the seeds are often of different tinctures, e.g. A rose Gules barbed and seeded proper. When barbed and seeded proper the barbs or leaves are green and the seeds yellow. Otherwise the barbs and seeds must have their tincture stated.

1968, Charles MacKinnon of Dunakin, The Observer's Book of Heraldry, pages 72–73:

(heraldry, of a rose) Having the stamens / seeds indicated.


dovetailed

(heraldry) Involving a wavy line in the form of triangles, resembling a dovetail.


orle

From Old French (also modern) orle, from orler (“to hem”), or from Vulgar Latin *orula, a diminutive of Latin ora (“edge”), probably from os, oris (“mouth”).

1819, In his hand he bore that singular “abacus”, or staff of office, with which Templars are usually represented, having at the upper end a round plate, on which was engraved the cross of the Order, inscribed within a circle or orle, as heralds term it. — Walter Scott, Ivanhoe

(heraldry) A bordure that runs around the outline of a shield without touching the edge.

(heraldry) The wreath, or chaplet, surmounting or encircling the helmet of a knight and bearing the crest; a torse.


bezant

bezants (plural)
Bezant (alternative)
basant (alternative)
besant (alternative)
byzant (alternative)
bezaunt (alternative)

From Middle English besaunt, from Old French bezant, nominative bezanz, from Latin byzantius (“of Byzantium”).

One and All is the motto of the County of Cornwall, used below the coat-of-arms, which is a shield embracing fifteen bezants, or golden roundels, on a black ground; [...].

1941 December, “The Why and the Wherefore: Cornish names of G.W.R. locomotives”, in Railway Magazine, page 575:

(heraldry) A roundel or (that is, a golden circle), the heraldic representation of a gold coin.


defacement

en-noun

defacement (countable and uncountable, plural defacements)

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-defacement.wav

(heraldry, vexillology) A symbol added to a flag or coat of arms to change it or make it different from another.


fleur-de-lys

(heraldry) Alternative form of fleur-de-lis.


assumptive

en-adj

assumptive (comparative more assumptive, superlative most assumptive)

more assumptive (comparative)
most assumptive (superlative)

(heraldry, of arms, not comparable) Originally, being arms which a person had a right to assume, in consequence of an exploit; now, those assumed without sanction of the Heralds' College.


eradicated

(heraldry) Having the roots of a tree visible in the emblazon.


quartering

(heraldry) The division of a shield containing different coats of arms into four or more compartments.

(heraldry) One of the different coats of arms arranged upon an escutcheon, denoting the descent of the bearer.


entrail

en-verb

entrail (third-person singular simple present entrails, present participle entrailing, simple past and past participle entrailed)

entrails (present singular third-person)
entrailing (participle present)
entrailed (participle past)
entrailed (past)

A cross entrailed.

"Entrailed: outlined, always with black lines. See Adumbration, and Cross entrailed."

1847, Henry Gough, John Henry Parker, A Glossary of Terms Used in British Heraldry: With a Chronological Table ..., Oxford, page 124:

"Entrailed, a Cross, P.7, n.20, Lee says, the colour need not be named, for it is always sable."

1775, Hugh Clark, Thomas Wormull, An Introduction to Heraldry: Containing the Origin and Use of Arms; Rules ..., H. Washbourne, page 122:


gurges

/ˈɡɜːd͡ʒiːz/

From Middle English gurges, from Latin gurges.

Argent, a gurges azure, is borne by GORGES, of Langford, Wilts., created a Baronet 1612. As the gurges (like the fountain) represents water, argent and azure are its proper tinctures.

1847, Henry Gough, A Glossary of Terms Used in British Heraldry: With a Chronological Table, Illustrative of Its Rise and Progress, page 153:

A shield of arms of early shape : three gurgeses (or roundles charged with a central pellet and two annulets concentric), two and one.

1894, British Museum. Department of Manuscripts, Walter de Gray Birch, Catalogue of Seals in the Department of Manuscripts in the British Museum, page 294:

(heraldry) A series of typically four to six concentric annulets (in early heraldry, from at least the 1200s), or a spiralling line from the centre to the edge of the shield (in late heraldry); a stylized whirlpool.


gated

Quarterly: 1st and 4th, azure, a castle argent, gated and windowed gules; 2nd, gules three legs armed proper, flexed and conjoined triangularly at the upper end of the thigh, garnished and spurred or; 3rd, azure, a deer's head cabossed[…]

1956, Thomas Innes of Learney, Scots Heraldry: A Practical Handbook on the Historical Principles and Modern Application of the Art and Science, Genealogical Publishing Com, →ISBN, page 203:

(heraldry) Having a gate of a specified colour.


gutty

From goutte + -y, or anglicization of (Old or Middle French) goutté, ultimately from Latin gutta (“drop (of a liquid)”) (also the ultimate source of English goutte and French goutte). Compare guttated.

goutty (alternative)
goutté (alternative)
gouté (alternative)
gutté (alternative)
guttée (alternative)

(heraldry) Charged or sprinkled with drops.


passant

From Middle English passaunt (c. 1300), from Old French passant.

He them espying, gan himselfe prepare, / And on his arme addresse his goodly shield / That bore a Lion passant in a golden field.

1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book III, Canto I”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:

(heraldry, of a four-legged animal) Walking, usually to the right, and looking straight ahead with the right forepaw raised from the ground.


dexter chief

(heraldry) The upper left corner of the shield (from the viewer's perspective).


erased

Az., on a fesse, embattled, counterembattled, arg., between three cocks' heads, erased, of the last, beaked, combed, and wattled, gu., two roses, also gu.

1860, Bernard Burke, A Selection of Arms Authorized by the Laws of Heraldry, page 34:

(heraldry) Having the appearance of being forcibly torn off, with parts left jagged or uneven, as distinguished from couped.


gyron

(heraldry) A triangular form having an angle at the fess point and the opposite side at the edge of the escutcheon.


pean

Derived from Middle French penne (“feather”), from penna (“feather”); doublet of pen and penna.

der+

(heraldry) A heraldic fur of gold spots on a black field.


pean

(heraldry) In blazon, a heraldic fur of a black field with gold spots.

kontraguldhermelin

of black colour with gold spots on a coat of arms


cherry blossom

en-noun

cherry blossom (countable and uncountable, plural cherry blossoms)

The cherry blossom was in use in Heian times...For obvious reasons it become the mon of the Sakurai family.

1976, W. M. Hawley, Kei Kaneda Chappelear, Mon: The Japanese Family Crest, page 27:

(heraldry) A stylized depiction of the blossom of the cherry tree, as used in Japanese mon.


murrey

murrey (countable and uncountable, plural murreys)

From Middle English murrey, murreye, from Middle French moré, morée, from Latin moratum, morata, from neuter and feminine respectively of moratus (“mulberry-colored”), from morum (“mulberry”) + -atus (“-ate”).

murrey:

(heraldry) A tincture, the colour of mulberries, between gules (red) and purpure (purple).


pursuivant

pursuivants (plural)
poursuivant (alternative)
pursevant (alternative)

From Middle English pursevant et al., from Old French pursuivant, present participle of pursuivre (“to follow”). Doublet of pursuant.

How oft do they [the blessed Angels] with golden pineons, cleaue / The flitting skyes, like flying Purſuiuant, / Againſt fowle feendes to ayd vs millitant: […]

1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book II, Canto VIII”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, page 291:

The herald Hope, forerunning Fear, / And Fear, the pursuivant of Hope.

1845, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, To A Child:

(heraldry) A functionary of lower rank than a herald, but discharging similar duties; an attendant of the heralds, e.g. in the College of Arms.


irradiated

en-adj

irradiated (comparative more irradiated, superlative most irradiated)

more irradiated (comparative)
most irradiated (superlative)

Per Fess, Or, and Argent, a Rose irradiated Gules, therefrom issuant two Griphons' heads addorsed Sable. William Barlow.

1829, Stephen Hyde Cassan, Lives of the bishops of Bath and Wells, page 65:

A Lion of England imperially crowned, between three roses gules in chief, and as many argent in base, barbed, seeded, and irradiated or […]

1893, John Edwin Cussans, Handbook of Heraldry, page 277:

[...] a naked child seized by a bear passant sable semee d'estoiles or, on a chief argent three roses gules irradiated.

1897, William Kirkpatrick Riland Bedford, The Blazon of Episcopacy … of England and Wales, page 187:

Azure, on a cross quarterly pierced or, four chevrons gules, with an honourable augmentation, a chief argent, thereon a rose gules, irradiated gold, within a wreath of oak proper.

1899, Arthur Charles Fox-Davies, Armorial Families, page 878:

Quarterly : 1st and 4th, Sable, a fesse wavy between two estoiles irradiated argent, Drake; 2nd, Gules, on a bend or, a baton azure, on a chief the arms of[…]

1902, Joseph Jackson Howard, Visitation of England and Wales, page 1:

[...] in her dexter hand a pair of scales or, and in her sinister a touchstone sable, her head irradiated.

1915, Arthur Charles Fox-Davies, The Book of Public Arms, London : T.C. & E.C. Jack, page 326:

Crest — Rising from the top of a lighthouse argent irradiated or a martlet azure.

2020 April 20, Susan Morris, Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage 2019, eBook Partnership, →ISBN, page 2780:


marshalling

en-noun

marshalling (countable and uncountable, plural marshallings)

marshallings (plural)
marshaling (alternative)

(heraldry) The arrangement of an escutcheon to exhibit the alliances of the owner.


couched

Holmes gives us the Arms of the Name of TOURNEY, Or, a Cheveron couched Gules, Fig. 15. IF it be turned to the other Side, says he, it is termed couched sinister;[…]

1722, Alexander Nisbet, A System of Heraldry Speculative and Practical, page 160:

Argent, on a fesse sable, three chevronels couched sinister of the field. - TRENOWITH, Corn.

1894, Henry Gough, James Parker, A Glossary of Terms Used in Heraldry, page 111:

(heraldry) Of a chevron, issuing from the side rather than from the bottom or top of the shield; couché.


affronted

en-adj

affronted (comparative more affronted, superlative most affronted)

more affronted (comparative)
most affronted (superlative)

PROVENANCE The arms on f.25 are argent a lion rampant affronted azure, with claws and tongue gules; these are perhaps the arms of Acciajaoli, of Florence (cf. the sale in these rooms, 7 December 1992, lot 74), or Nini, of Siena[…]

1994 06, Sotheby's (Firm), Western Manuscripts and Miniatures:


quatrefoil

quatrefoils (plural)
quadrefoil (alternative)
quarterfoil (alternative archaic)
quaterfoil (alternative archaic)

/kætɹəˌfɔɪl/

From Old French quatrefoil, from quatre (“four”) + foil (“leaf”).

(heraldry) A stylized flower or leaf with four lobes.


platy

platy (comparative platier, superlative platiest)

platier (comparative)
platiest (superlative)

Alternative form: platé

Gules, a saltire argent within a bordure sable bezantée (sic C., but Papworth cites, p. 1069, from A., per saltire gules and sable, a saltire argent, and a bordure of the 2nd platy).

1877, The Reliquary and Illustrated Archaeologist, page 19:

[...] fretty gules besanty / here the besants are placed at the intersection of the pieces of the fretty. A similar coat, Or, fretty gules platy, is an old coat of VERDON; and Or, fretty sable platy is the canting coat of PLATT.

1892, John Woodward, George Burnett, A Treatise on Heraldry, British and Foreign: With English and French Glossaries, page 97:

Or, a fess dancetty of two points gules masoned argent; on a chief azure a representation of Maidenhead Bridge over water barry wavy in base. 212. Argent, a fess gules between 3 astral crowns azure. 213. Sable platy, a pile barry[…]

1965, R. H. Wilmott, Discovering Heraldry:

Sable platy, two flaunches argent - Spelman (159). Gules, five lozenges conjoined in bend argent - Raleigh (160).

1983, Charles Boutell, Boutell's Heraldry, Frederick Warne Publishers:

(heraldry) Semy of plates (roundels argent).


segreant

First attested in the 1550s, initially in the spelling sergreant, of obscure origin and variable meaning: examples from the 15- and 1600s apply it not only to winged quadrupeds but also a falcon, and not exclusively to ones rampant but also some passant. The source may be French s'érigeant (“erecting itself”).

(heraldry) Rampant, with the wings elevated and addorsed (a posture of winged quadrupeds).


recrossed

M'Glashan, Sco. a long cross recrossed, gules,[…]

1817, Alexander Deuchar, British Crests: Containing the Crests and Mottos of the Families of Great Britain and Ireland, page 189:

gules, a bend argent acc. by six crosses recrossed argent

1900, John William De Forest, The DeForests of Avesnes and of New Netherland: A Huguenot Thread in American Colonial History, 1494 to the Present Time, page 245:

The arms of Poix, assumed by Sir Walter Tyrrell III., at the siege of Jerusalem, were as follows: Gules, with bend argent, together with six crosses, recrossed with small crosslets and pointed in gold, posed three and three.

1909, Edwin Holland Terrell, Further Genealogical Notes on the Tyrrell-Terrell Family of Virginia and Its English and Norman-French Progenitors, page 21:

(heraldry) Having the ends crossed, like (or as) a cross crosslet.


pendent

pendent (comparative more pendent, superlative most pendent)

more pendent (comparative)
most pendent (superlative)

From Middle English pendaunt, Anglo-Norman pendaunt, pendant, respelled to reflect Latin pendēns, pendentis, present participle of pendere (“to hang, to be suspended”). Compare pendant, which retained the spelling.

Jandrell, Sa. three buckles, the tongues pendent ar. two and a one.

1780, Joseph Edmondson, A Complete Body of Heraldry:

Az. a chev. or, betw. three acorns, pendent, Kymberlee.

1828, William Berry, Encyclopaedia Heraldica, Or Complete Dictionary of Heraldry: Dictionary of Heraldry, page 89:

JAUDRILL. Ermines, three round buckles ar. tongues pendent.

1844, John Burke, Bernard Burke, Encyclopædia of Heraldry, page 49:

page 207: de CAMPO REAL: chequy Sable and Argent on a chief Gules a crescent pendent of the field.

1981, Bruno Bernhard Heim, Armorial Bruno Bernard Heim, Colin Smythe:

(heraldry) Hanging or pointed downward; (of a crescent) with its horns pointing downward.


martlet

From Middle English martilet, probably a blend of martinet (“martin”; from Middle French martinet and Medieval Latin martineta) and Middle French merlet.

merlette

mythological bird in French heraldry depicted with no beak or feet

(heraldry) A depiction of a bird similar to a house martin or swallow with stylized feet.


bordure

[ˈbo̞ɹ.d͡ʒɚ]

-ɔː(ɹ)dʒə(ɹ)

A collateral form of, and thus a doublet of border (from Middle English bordure).

(heraldry) A contrasting border around a shield.


portate

Latin portatus, past participle of portare (“to carry”).

a cross portate

Saint Anthony's cross
Saint Anthony's cross

(heraldry, of a cross) Borne diagonally athwart an escutcheon with the central column going from dexter chief to sinister base (a cross tilted the opposite way is portate reversed), especially as a T-shaped or Saint Anthony's cross.


gorged

(heraldry) With the neck collared or encircled by an object.


nebule

Barry nebule of ſix Pieces, Argent and Gules; pertained to Sir Richard Damery, a Baron in the Days of King Ed. 3.

1755, John Guillim, The British Banner Display'd, page 234:

His arms are broken off, but may be conjectured to be a crosse nebule.·

1791, Sir Egerton Brydges, The Topographer:

Barry nebule of six, or and sable, is borne by the ancient and noble family of Blount; Barry nebule of six, or and gules, by the name of Lovell; Barry nebule of six, azure and argent, by the name of Dolesby; Barry nebule of ten, argent and azure, by the name of Straiton. Paley nebule, chevronny nebule, and bendy nebule sometimes occur, but they are mostly in foreign shields of arms, and are but seldom seen.

1846, William Newton, A Display of Heraldry, page 65:

(heraldry) Alternative form of nebulé, nebuly.


fruited

fruited (comparative more fruited, superlative most fruited)

more fruited (comparative)
most fruited (superlative)

[…] the first gules, a chevron or, between three heads erased; the second vert, an oak tree, fruited or[…]

1813, John Lyon, The History of the Town and Port of Dover and of Dover Castle: With a Short Account of the Cinque Ports, page 138:

[…]; Or, an olive tree eradicated proper, by the name of Montolivet; Or, on a mound a pear tree fruited proper, by the name of Pyrton; Sable, an apple tree or, fruited gules, by the name of Verse, in Flanders.

1846, William Newton, Display of Heraldry, page 139:

A white horse holding in his mouth a sprig of oak. 2. The same galloping before an oak-tree fruited or (Fig. 178).

1870, Mrs. Bury Palliser, Historic Devices, Badges, and War-cries, page 270:

Azure , on a mount an apple tree fruited proper, are the armes parlantes of the Dutch APPELBOOMS, and of the Barons APFALTRER.

1892, John Woodward, George Burnett, A Treatise on Heraldry, British and Foreign: With English and French Glossaries, page 317:

Gold a pear tree fruited gules

1910, Archaeologia Aeliana, Or, Miscellaneous Tracts Relating to Antiquities, page 163:

(heraldry) Bearing fruit or acorns, typically of a specified tincture.


sufflue

(heraldry) A clarion-like charge on a coat of arms.


comble

(heraldry) A band along the top part of the shield, half the height of the chief.


dented

A lion rampant sable, langued and dented gules.

(heraldry) Having teeth of a specified colour.

Ermyne on a chiefe dented, Gules.

1572 November 30, John Bossewell, Workes of Armorie:

London, 116. John Farmary M. D. Dec. 1611. Ar. 5 roundels V. in saltier; a chief dented G.

1808, Sir Egerton Brydges, Censura Literaria: Containing Titles, Abstracts, and Opinions of Old English Books, with Original Disquisitions, Articles of Biography, and Other Literary Antiquities, page 257:

(especially heraldry, obsolete) Indented.


syke

(heraldry) A roundel barry wavy argent and azure; a fountain.


adumbrated

adumbrated (comparative more adumbrated, superlative most adumbrated)

more adumbrated (comparative)
most adumbrated (superlative)

(heraldry) Depicted on a shield as an outline (having the same colour(s) as the field, but often darker) instead of a solid figure. (See "further reading" below.)


inescutcheon

/ɪnɪˈskʌt͡ʃn̩/

PIE word
 *h₁én
From in- (prefix meaning ‘in; within’) + escutcheon.

prefix

All the quartered Arms that I meet vvith belonging to Scottiſh Families, do not exceed ſix different Coats of Arms, vvhich are marſhalled after theſe three vvays, Plain Quartering, Quartering, and Counter-quartering, of vvhich I have treated and illuſtrate by Examples, vvith their Surtouts and Ineſcutcheons.

1718, Alexander Nisbet, “Of Arms of Alliances, with the Method of Marshalling Them and Others Quarterly”, in An Essay on the Ancient and Modern Use of Armories; […], Edinburgh: […] William Adams Junior, for Mr. James Mack Euen, […], →OCLC, page 112:

[A]n Ineſcutcheon is properly the Charge of a Shield, and born vvithin a 'Scutcheon or Shield, […]

1724, John Guillim, chapter VII, in A Display of Heraldry. […], 6th edition, London: […] T. W. for R. and J. Bonwicke and R. Wilkin, […] [a]nd J. Walthoe and Tho[mas] Ward, […], →OCLC, page 49, column 1:

When only one escutcheon is borne as a charge, it is now generally termed an in'''escutcheon, but in the early rolls there is no such distinction.

1852, J[ames] R[obinson] Planché, “Artificial Objects”, in The Pursuivant of Arms, or Heraldry Founded upon Facts, London: W. N. Wright, […], →OCLC, page 124:

When he became titular bishop of Hippo and auxiliary bishop of Boston, he added an inescutcheon or small shield in the center of his shield bearing a gold heart inflamed pierced by an arrow and on a blue field. Since titular bishops do not impale their personal arms with those of the see, this was a convenient reference to his titular see.

1992, Duane L. C. M. Galles, “The Reform of Ecclesiastical Heraldry Revisited”, in The American Benedictine Review, volume 43, number 4, Atchison, Kan.: American Benedictine Review, →ISSN, →OCLC, footnote 15, page 424:

escutcheon of pretence
escutcheon of pretence

(heraldry) A small escutcheon (“coat of arms; shield”) (such as an escutcheon of pretence) which is charged (“represented”) on a larger escutcheon.


scrog

en-noun

scrog (countable and uncountable, plural scrogs)

Compare scrag, or Scottish Gaelic sgrogag (“anything shriveled”), from sgrag (“to compress, shrivel”).

cog

Argent, a Palm-tree growing out of a Mount in base proper, surmounted of S. Andrews-cross Gules, on a chiet azur [...]. Azur, a Cheveron Or, betwixt two Scrogs or starved branches in chief, and a mans heart in base argent.

1680, George Mackenzie, Observations Upon the Laws and Customs of Nations, as to Precedency, page 59:

(heraldry, countable) The branch of a tree, especially one used as a charge in Scottish heraldry.


hatchment

From Middle French hachement, a modification of Old French acesmement (“adornment”) (related to Italian accismare); not, as is often claimed, an alteration of achievement.

No Trophee, Sword, nor Hatchment o're his bones.

c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene v], page 275, column 1:

Having passed through Gaunt Square into Great Gaunt Street, the carriage at length stopped at a tall gloomy house between two other tall gloomy houses, each with a hatchment over the middle drawing-room window; as is the custom of houses in Great Gaunt Street, in which gloomy locality death seems to reign perpetual.

1847 January – 1848 July, William Makepeace Thackeray, chapter 7, in Vanity Fair […], London: Bradbury and Evans […], published 1848, →OCLC:

Immediately the Railway Executive received the news, the former London & North Eastern Railway special rolling stock was prepared, including the saloon always used as a hearse coach, which was painted black and decorated each side with hatchments of the Royal Arms.

1953 June, “Royal Railway Journeys”, in Railway Magazine, page 372:

The second and third quarters of the shield are indecipherable on the stone but clearer in two other representations of the arms, a painted wooden funeral hatchment for Mary Davie[…]

2012 October 8, Daniel W. Patterson, The True Image: Gravestone Art and the Culture of Scotch Irish Settlers in the Pennsylvania and Carolina Backcountry, UNC Press Books, →ISBN, page 141:

(heraldry) A display of the arms, supporters, crests, motto, etc of a deceased person, placed within a black lozenge and hung on a wall


battled

Fesse battled, embattled, or, as it were, double embattled, with one battlement upon another.

1828, William Berry, Encyclopaedia Heraldica Or Complete Dictionary of Heraldry, page 9:


defamed

a lion defamed

(heraldry, postpositive) Shown rampant without its tail.


aspersed

en-adj

aspersed (comparative more aspersed, superlative most aspersed)

more aspersed (comparative)
most aspersed (superlative)

Coat of arms in the left-hand bottom corner, a lion or rampant in a field gules, aspersed with billets or. Purchased in Flanders from the subject's descendant, who would not part with the picture until he had cut out the coat[…]

1891, William Stirling Maxwell, Annals of the Artists of Spain:

The arms of the Counts-Dukes of Benavente have a shield quarterly, or a three bands gules and sinople a five escallops argent aspersed, and bordure compony with the arms of Castile and León.

2012 October 3, Eduardo de J. Douglas, In the Palace of Nezahualcoyotl: Painting Manuscripts, Writing the Pre-Hispanic Past in Early Colonial Period Tetzcoco, Mexico, University of Texas Press, →ISBN, page 194:

(heraldry) Having a number of small charges scattered over the surface; semé.


mantling

en-noun

mantling (countable and uncountable, plural mantlings)

(heraldry) The representation of a mantle, or the drapery behind and around a coat of arms.


purfling

(heraldry) An ornament consisting of purfle.


eclipsed

Or, on a pile azure, between two lions rampant combatant in base gules, the sun in splendour proper - PEARSON, Co. Lincoln. [...] Argent, a sun eclipsed issuing out of the dexter chief, the beams or - WELDAY, Wheelhurst.

1894, Henry Gough, James Parker, A Glossary of Terms Used in Heraldry, page 558:

(heraldry, of a sun) With its disc sable (or, modernly, of another specified tincture).


impalement

impalement (countable and uncountable, plural impalements)

impalements (plural)
empalement (alternative)

From Middle French empalement; equivalent to impale + -ment.

(heraldry) The joining of two coats of arms on one shield.


varvel

varvels (plural)
vervelle (alternative)
vervel (alternative)

From Old French vervelle (“falcon's leg fetter”), from Vulgar Latin derivation of Latin vertibulum (“joint”).

uder

1894 — James Parker, A Glossary of Terms Used in Heraldry, s.v. Falcon.
To the jesses, it is said, are attached the varvels, sometimes written vervels, or rings.

(falconry, heraldry) A metal ring bearing the owner's name or coat of arms, attached to a hawk's jesses. Used for identifying birds.


gemelle

(heraldry, rare) Alternative form of gemel.


palet

(heraldry) Alternative form of pallet (“diminutive pale”).


Catherine wheel

en-noun

Catherine wheel (plural Catherine wheels)

Catherine wheels (plural)
Catharine wheel (alternative)
Catharine-wheel (alternative)
Catherine-wheel (alternative)
catherine wheel (alternative)
catherine-wheel (alternative)

Saint Catherine of Alexandria was said to have been sentenced to execution on such a wheel, which shattered at her touch.

Sorcerers are too common; cunning men, wizards, and white witches […] have commonly St. Catherine's wheel printed in the roof of their mouth, or in some other part about them […]

[…] her tortures consisted of being broken on a wheel (later called Catherine wheel), but the machine broke down injuring bystanders; Catherine was beheaded.

1992, David Hugh Farmer, The Oxford Dictionary of Saints, 3rd edition, page 88:

She only lied to the boy to keep him from hurt, and for her sin her intestines were pulled from her on a Catherine wheel.

2008, Peter Carey, His Illegal Self, page 181:

(historical or heraldry) A breaking wheel, or wheel with spikes on it.


nebuly

nébulé (alternative)
nebulé (alternative)

Elizabeth Brooke, […] Argent, a cross nebuly per pale gules and sable, […]

1895, Arthur Charles Fox-Davies, Armorial Families: A Complete Peerage, Baronetage, and Knightage, and a Directory of Some Gentlemen of Coat-armour, and Being the First Attempt to Show which Arms in Use at the Moment are Borne by Legal Authority, page 134:

'That is the coat of the Blandamers—barry nebuly of six, argent and vert.' It was the organist who stood near him in the deepening shadows.' I forgot that such jargon probably conveys no meaning to you, and, indeed, I know no heraldry myself excepting only this one coat of arms, and sometimes wish,' he said with a sigh, 'that I knew nothing of that either. […] every tavern loafer will talk to you about the "nebuly coat" as if it were a thing he wore.'

1904, John Meade Falkner, The Nebuly Coat, page 14:

(heraldry) Edged in a deeply wavy line, intended to represent clouds.


rempli

(42) Berks, an Antient and Honourable FAmily, but hath yet no Issue. His Arms are Argent on a Chief Gules, two Mullets Or, a Label on a Crescent for his Armorial difference; and for Crest the Falcon Or. Ducally gorged Gules, and an Eagle Or on the Breast of the last; the Lock Gold, rempli per Pale Argent and Sable therein, […]

1713, Notitia St. Johanniana: or, Genealogical and historical memoirs of the ... family of St. John, etc:

Chief rempli, or bordered. Plate XXIX.

1828, William Berry, Encyclopaedia Heraldica Or Complete Dictionary of Heraldry, page 21:

rempli [...], a. [< F. rempli, pp. of remplir, fill up, < re- + emplir, fill, < L. implere, fill up : see implement.] In her., having another tincture than its own laid over or covering the greater part : thus, a chief azure rempli or has a broad band of gold occupying nearly the whole space of the chief, so that only a blue fimbriation shows around it. [Image caption:] Argent, a chief azure rempli or.

1914, The Century Dictionary: An Encyclopedic Lexicon of the English Language, page 5073:

(heraldry, rare) Having another tincture than its own covering the greater part.


chequy

From Anglo-Norman escheké, eschequé (“chequered”), from eschec (“chess, check”). Influenced by chequ(er) + -y and check.

checky (alternative)
chequey (alternative)

Sometimes the Princess was seen conferring spiritedly with the Spongiatosta security details posted about the streets nearby, whose livery bore the ancient family arms, a sponge couchant on a field chequy with flames at the foot.

2006, Thomas Pynchon, Against the Day, Vintage, published 2007, page 821:

(heraldry) Chequered; divided into small squares (chequers) by transverse vertical and horizontal lines.


queued

a lion rampant double-queued


viure

Viure, Wiure, or Wyer. These terms, according to several authorities, signify a very narrow fillet, generally nebuly, which may be placed in bend, in fess, or otherwise. We can point to but one instance of such a bearing, viz. the arms of Haidon, or Haydon, of Devon: argent , three bars gemels azure , on a chief gules a viure or. This is probably nothing but a wide line nebuly.

1847, Henry Gough, A Glossary of Terms Used in British Heraldry: With a Chronological Table, Illustrative of Its Rise and Progress, page 320:

[…] how are the viures to be tricked?

1863, John Gough Nichols, The Herald and Genealogist, page 91:

(heraldry, rare) A thin ribbon crossing the field in any direction.


trussing

Sable, a falcon or, his wings expanded, trussing a mallard argent, on a chief of the latter, a cross botoné[…]

1845, Hugh Clark, An Introduction to Heraldry ... Thirteenth edition. greatly improved, page 40:

A hawk trussing.

1894, Henry Gough, James Parker, A Glossary of Terms Used in Heraldry, page 247:

Examples of this will be found in the arms of Madden ["Sable, a hawk or, trussing a mallard proper, on a chief of the second a cross botonny gules"], and in the crests of Graham, Cawston, and Yerburgh.

1909, Arthur Charles Fox-Davies, A Complete Guide to Heraldry, page 242:

(heraldry, of a bird) In the act of seizing (something).


supercharged

[...] And over all, an Inescutcheon Azure, the whole supercharged by a Saltire Argent.

1729, Abel Boyer, Le Grand théâtre de l'honneur et de noblesse [assisted by John Innes] Fr. & Eng., page 219:

The Moretuses took as their arms : Of gold with an eagle of sable charged upon his breast with a scutcheon of gules, supercharged with a star radiating with gold on a champaign checked with azure and five strokes silver.

1894, Max Rooses, Catalogue of the Plantin-Moretus Museum:

[...] is a blue cross supercharged with one of red, the whole enclosed by a blue [...]

1897, American Numismatic Society, Proceedings of the Annual Meeting, page 39:


estoile

Old French, from Latin stēlla. Doublet of étoile, stella, and stelo; related to aster and star.

(heraldry) A six-pointed star whose rays are wavy, as opposed to the straight lines of a mullet.


reremouse

reremice (plural)
rearmouse (alternative)
reermouse (alternative)

From Middle English reremous, from Old English hrēremūs, hrœ̄remūs (“bat”). By surface analysis, rear (“to move, shake, stir”) + mouse.

surf

Argent, a reremouse sable,[…]

(rare, archaic, poetic or heraldry) A bat (flying mammal).


leashed

In the registration for William, Earl of Dundonald, 1672-78, the same person, the boars' heads are armed and langued of the field, and the supporters are collared or and leashed gules.

1881, Robert Riddle Stodart, Scottish Arms: Being a Collection of Armorial Bearings, A.D. 1370-1678, Reproduced in Fascimile from Contemporary Manuscripts, page 59:

[...] a sleuthhound proper, collared and leashed gules.

1895, Arthur Charles Fox-Davies, Armorial Families: A Complete Peerage, Baronetage, and Knightage, and a Directory of Some Gentlemen of Coat-armour, and Being the First Attempt to Show which Arms in Use at the Moment are Borne by Legal Authority, page 783:

[...] on the dexter a greyhound proper collared and leashed gules, on the sinister an ostrich proper, in its beak a horse shoe azure.

1900, The Celtic Monthly: A Magazine for Highlanders, page 169:

Supporters; Two greyhounds per fess argent and or, collared and leashed gules, suspended from the collar, a shield azure , charged with the Speaker's Mace in pale or; and each charged on the flank with a thistle proper.

1902, Lincoln's Inn (London, England), The Records of the Honorable Society of Lincoln's Inn, page 377:

(heraldry) Having a leash of a specified color.


respectant

French, present participle of respecter.

The sun is surmounted on either side by two white lions, respectant and sitting on an orange scroll inscribed UTMOST OF OUR ABILITY in gold letters.

(heraldry, numismatics) Placed so as to face one another; face to face.


flottant

[…] gules; second, Azure, a sinister hand a paumee, couped, in pale, argent; third, Or, a galley, sails furled, oars in action, sable, flags flottant, gules; fourth, Argent, out of a mount in base, an oak-tree, vert[…]

1856, David MacGregor Peter, The baronage of Angus and Mearns, page 96:

[…] with tassels flottant upwards or; […]

1881, Scottish Arms, Being a Collection of Armorial Bearings A. D. 1370-1678, page 264:

[…] each surrounded by a banner flottant from the sides, the dexter flag charged with a cross, the sinister with a saltire, gules. The badge of the Order of St. Patrick is prescribed by the statutes of the Order, 28th February, 1783, wherein the saltire gules[…]

1903, Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland, The Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland, page 417:


renverse

From Old French renverser. Equivalent to re- + inverse.

Samuel Coggan. Lisbon, May 19, 1712; letter to David Jeffries de Co. Round seal, a lion rampant renversé.

1877, The New England Historical and Genealogical Register, page 58:

The arms [on the 1790 Gelderland duit] may be thus blazoned: Party per pale, 1. azure, a lion rampant or, armed and langued gules, 2. or, a lion rampant renverse sable, armed and langued as before.

1909, Dutch Burgher Union of Ceylon, Journal of the Dutch Burgher Union of Ceylon, page 218:

(heraldry, dated) Backwards, contourné, facing the opposite direction (sinister/dexter) than usual.


urinant

From Latin ūrīnāns, present active participle of ūrīnor (“I dive”).

On a chapeau gules, guarded ermine, a gurnet (fish) urinant proper.

1866, John Edwin Cussans, The Grammar of Heraldry: Containing a Description of All the Principal Charges Used in Armory, the Signification of Heraldic Terms, and the Rules to be Observed in Blazoning and Marshalling ; Together with the Armorial Bearings of All the Landed Gentry in England Prior to the Sixteenth Century, page 84:

2) gules, in bend two fish, urinant and hauriant, respectively, argent, their fins "dark azure" (sic).

1992, Donald R. Mandich, Joseph Anthony Placek, Russian Heraldry and Nobility, Dramco:

Azure, three trout interlaced in triangle: the chiefmost naiant, one urinant in bend, and one haurient in bend sinister, all argent.

2006, Encyclopedia Americana: Heart to India:

(heraldry): Of a fish: oriented vertically, with the head to base and tail to chief, as if positioned for diving.


repassant

Compare French repassant, present participle.

[...] Hee beareth, Sable, two lyoncels, the one paffant, the other repassant, Argent, both collared, Gules, but in mine opinion no man by this last blazon is able to tricke, or expresse the true portraiture and manner of the bearing of these lioncels, […]

1638, John Guillim, A Display of Heraldrie, page 194:

REPASSANT, a. [...] in her., term applied when two lions or other animals are borne going contrary ways, one of which is passant, by walking toward the dexter side of the shield in the usual way, and the other repassant by going toward the sinister.

1891, Alden's Manifold Cyclopedia of Knowledge and Language, page 23:

[…] To the right of the window is the image of a single passant repassant lion, which marches along the decorative[…]

1995, Lynn Anne Jones, Between Byzantium and Islam: Royal Iconography and the Church of the Holy Cross at Aghtamar:


cloué

For quotations using this term, see Citations:cloué.

(heraldry, of a trellis, horseshoe, etc) Studded with nails (of a specified tincture).


masoned

(heraldry, of a building) Having the mortar and bricks of different tinctures.


affrontant

[...] an escarbuncle perse pometty argent Azure, a lion passant gardant argent Gules, two lions affrontant or Azure,[…]

2019, Roy Osborne, Renaissance Colour Symbolism, Lulu.com, →ISBN, page 60:


affronté

affrontée (alternative)
affrontee (alternative)
affronty (alternative)

Borrowed from French affronté, past participle of affronter (“to confront, face”).

... viz. quarterly, first and fourth gules, on a cheveron argent, a rose betwixt two lions affronté gules, for Hepburn; second and third argent, an orle gules, and in chief three martlets sable, for Rutherford; crest, a horse[…]

1804, Alexander Nisbet, A system of heraldry, speculative and practical: with the true art of Blazon ... Illustrated with suitable examples of armorial figures, and achievements of the most considerable surnames and families in Scotland ..., page 163:

[…] earliest designs were geometric, birds affronté (facing one another), peacocks, pomegranates, unicorns, pelicans, and […]

1910, Amy Milton Kohlsaat, Old Lace Manual, page 11:

(heraldry) Face to face, or with the fronts facing each other.

The crest of SCOTLAND [ - A lion affronté gules, crowned imperially Or, in the dexter paw a sceptre erect, surmounted by a fleur de lis gold; in the[…] ]

[…]; and (5) an ostrich feather with a scroll on the quill reading “Sovereign”, supported by a lion sejeant-affronté (seated, looking towards the viewer), but with the dexter paw holding the quill (Rothery, p.202).

2010 01, Wm. E. Baumgaertner, Squires, Knights, Barons, Kings: War and Politics in Fifteenth Century England, Trafford Publishing, →ISBN:

(heraldry) Looking frontwise, or toward the viewer.


membered

armed

sometimes birds are described as armed instead

(heraldry, of a bird) Having legs of a different tincture from that of the body.


semé

From French semé (“sown”). Doublet of seminate and semined.

semy (alternative)
seme (alternative)
semee (alternative)
semée (alternative)
seméed (alternative)

(heraldry) Sprinkled, sown, strewn: said of a field or charge when strewn with small (identical) charges.


combattant

From Middle English combattant, from Middle French combattant. Doublet of combatant.

VISCOUNT LORTON bears gu., two lions combattant, supporting a dexter hand.

1892, Charles Boutell, Heraldry, Ancient and Modern: Including Boutell's Heraldry, page 81:

(heraldry) In fighting position; said of two lions set face to face, each rampant.


cabré

From French cabré, from cabrer (“to rear up”).

[...] 2, gules, two joined hands proper, parée purple, accompanied by three stars or (two in chief, and one in base); 3, gules, a horse, cabré argent; 4, azure, a ship with three masts proper, sails inflated,[…]

1907, Cyrus Adler, Isidore Singer, The Jewish Encyclopedia: A Descriptive Record of the History, Religion, Literature, and Customs of the Jewish People from the Earliest Times to the Present Day, page 130:


chaussé

en-adj

chaussé (comparative more chaussé, superlative most chaussé)

more chaussé (comparative)
most chaussé (superlative)

Borrowing from French chaussé. Doublet of calceate.

(heraldry) Divided into three with two lines from the corners of the chief to the point in base.


glissant

a serpent glissant

(heraldry) Gliding horizontally in an undulant posture.


rompu

Borrowed from French rompu, past participle of rompre to break, Latin rumpō. See rupture.

(heraldry) Broken, as an ordinary; cut off, or broken at the top, as a chevron, a bend, etc.


seadog

(heraldry) A charge resembling the talbot but with scales, webbed feet and a broad tail.


cendrée

grey:

(heraldry, rare) Grey, ashen; the blazoning term for grey.


heir apparent

en-noun

heir apparent (plural heirs apparent or heir apparents)

heirs apparent (plural)
heir apparents (plural)

From Middle English heier apparaunt, a calque translation of Middle French héritier apparent, hence the unusual order of adjective following noun.

[…] for Mary, though perfectly resolved against ever attaching herself to a younger brother again, was long in finding among the dashing representatives, or idle heir apparents, who were at the command of her beauty, and her 20,000l. any one who could satisfy the better taste she had acquired at Mansfield, whose character and manners could authorise a hope of the domestic happiness she had there learnt to estimate, or put Edmund Bertram sufficiently out of her head.

1814 May 9, [Jane Austen], chapter XVII, in Mansfield Park: […], volume III, London: […] [George Sidney] for T[homas] Egerton, […], →OCLC, page 345:

LeBron James, heir apparent to MJ’s throne, seems on paper like a dream trade—he stole plenty of laughs in Trainwreck a few summers ago.

2021 July 14, A. A. Dowd, “Space Jam: A New Legacy is one big, witless commercial for Warner Bros. properties”, in The A.V. Club:

(usually monarchy) Someone who will definitely inherit if surviving the one whose property is to be inherited.


sanglant

BERSANTER , or BERSAWTER, ar. three boars' heads sanglant, sa.

1830, Thomas Robson (engraver.), The British herald, or Cabinet of armorial bearings of the nobility & gentry of Great Britain & Ireland:

The couchant lion armed and langued, with his paw upon the open book, is indeed, the crest; but what a shield — Tincture upon tincture; azure: a cross sanguine, with a lamb sanglant in the dexter chief!

1843, The British Magazine and Monthly Register of Religious and Ecclesiastical Information, Parochial History, and Documents Respecting the State of the Poor, Progress of Education, &c, page 38:

Crest—A falcon, wings elevate or, belled gu., preying upon a wing, arg., sanglant, ppr.

1853, Bernard Burke, Index to Burke's dictionary of the landed gentry of Great Britain & Ireland, page 162:

A large shield, in the centre whereof was depicted / A hand lately severed, - the artist, addicted / ('Twas De Rodon bimself) to pre-Raphaelite rules, / Had made the wrist "sanglant" with drops from it "gules."

1855, Francis Edward Smedley, Mirth and metre by F.E. Smedley and E.H. Yates, page 69:


toison

For quotations using this term, see Citations:toison.


decrescent

From decressant, from Anglo-Norman [Term?], present participle of decreistre (“to decrease”).

(heraldry) A crescent oriented with horns turned to sinister (pointing to the viewer's right).


increscent

Attested since about 1675, from Latin increscens, present participle of increscere.

(heraldry) A crescent oriented with horns turned to dexter (pointing to the viewer's left).


dancy

From French danché (or an older form thereof). Compare dancetté.

a fess dancy


saliant

He beareth, Or, a Lion Saliant, Gules, by the name of Felbridge. The Proper forme of a Lion Saliant, is Lion Saliant when his right forefoot answereth to the Dexter corner of the Escocheon, and his hindmost foot the sinister base[…]

1632, John Guillim, A Display of Heraldrie, page 195:

Or two Wolves counter saliant Sable.

1842, Thomas Chatterton, Poetical Works: With Notices of His Life, History of the Rowley Controversy, a Selection of His Letters, and Notes, Critical and Explanatory, page 706:

Williams : argent , two foxes saliant counter-saliant in saltire, gules, the dexter surmounting the sinister (fig. 100). Sir Simon de Felbrigge, K.G .: or, a lion saliant gules (fig. 89). Fitz Payne: gules, three lions[…]

1898, The Encyclopaedia Britannica ...: A Dictionary of Arts, Sciences and General Literature ... in Thirty Volumes with New American Supplement, page 699:

(heraldry, dated) Alternative form of salient.


flamant

flambant (alternative)
flammant (alternative)

Sr Andrew Flamocke. [...] Crest -- A tree ragulée Vert flamant Gules.

1885, Walter Charles Metcalfe, A Book of Knights … 1566 [to] 1698, page 81:

75th Air Depot Wing 750 AIR / On a shield Or, a stylized aircraft Azure, throughout, in pale, thereon a sword Argent, flamant Gules, fimbriated Or,[…]

2001, Judy G. Endicott, The USAF in Korea: Campaigns, Units, and Stations, 1950-1953, Department of the Air Force, page 105:

(heraldry) Flaming (typically gules unless another color is specified).


humet

humets (plural)
humette (alternative)
heumette (alternative)

Uncertain. The OED speculates that it might derive from Old French heaumet (whence helmet), a diminutive of heaume (“helm”) supposedly applied to the bar of it; however, compare the early (1600s) use of humet for a slab of stone or tombstone.

[...] who take their Name from Hameyde, one of the two and twenty Baronies of that Province; thus D'Or a trois Hameydes de Geules, that is, Or, three Humets Gules, or Bars couped;

1725, James Coats, A New Dictionary of Heraldry, page 34:

Sa., on a humet arg., a martlet arg. (or.) Creft : A martlet as in the shield. Confirmed (with 1 quartering) to Hugh Bostock, of Moreton Say, who m. Margaret, daug. of Thomas Lee, of Langley. Harl MS. Boteler.

1869, Shropshire Arms and Lineages, page 10:

The Humet is a term sometimes, but seldom, used for a fesse, or bar humetty, i.e. couped at each of the extremities. Or, three humets sable , charged with as many annulets argent—AMBROSE, Lancashire.

1894, Henry Gough, James Parker, A Glossary of Terms Used in Heraldry, page 336:

(heraldry, rare) A fesse or bar cut off short at each end.


humet

[...] as Morgan in his Blazon of the Arms of Brabant, argent on a fesse humet gules, three leopards' heads or[…]

1804, Alexander Nisbet, A system of heraldry, speculative and practical: with the true art of Blazon ... Illustrated with suitable examples of armorial figures, and achievements of the most considerable surnames and families in Scotland ..., page 47:

erm. three bars humets or.

1828, William Berry, Encyclopaedia Heraldica Or Complete Dictionary of Heraldry:

Sa, three bars humet ar.

1847, John Burke, Encyclopaedia of Heraldry or general Armory of England, Scotland and Ireland, comprising a registry of all armorial bearings from the earliest to the present time, including the late grants by the college of arms: By John and John Bernard Burke:


cantoned

(heraldry) Having a charge in each of the four corners; said of a cross on a shield, and also of the shield itself.


alerion

alerions (plural)
allerion (alternative)

From Middle French alerion. Cognate to French alérion.

(heraldry) A heraldic eagle, especially one displayed without legs/feet or beak.


fimbriated

(heraldry) Having a fimbriation, a thin border of a specified tincture.


fess point

fess points (plural)
fesse point (alternative)
fesse-point (alternative)

(heraldry) The exact centre of the shield.


imbrued

en-adj

imbrued (comparative more imbrued, superlative most imbrued)

more imbrued (comparative)
most imbrued (superlative)

He bears for Arms : Argent, on a chief vert, two spear-heads erect of the field, the points imbrued gules.

1895, Arthur Charles Fox-Davies, Armorial Families: A Complete Peerage, Baronetage, and Knightage, and a Directory of Some Gentlemen of Coat-armour, and Being the First Attempt to Show which Arms in Use at the Moment are Borne by Legal Authority, page 133:


reverberant

reverberant (comparative more reverberant, superlative most reverberant)

more reverberant (comparative)
most reverberant (superlative)

/ɹɪˈvɜːbəɹənt/

/ɹəˈvɝbəɹənt/

From Middle French reverberant (present participle of reverberer), or directly from Latin reverberāns (present participle of reverberō); compare French réverbérant, Italian riverberante, Portuguese reverberante, and Spanish reverberante.

Their tailes forked, nowed, resignant, reuerberant, descendant, percussed and contercoloured. In all these fourmes, or likenesses they are descriued, and pictured: as also otherwise ensigned or marked, then here is remembred. Wherefore I wil presently write more, […]

1597, John Bossewell, Works of Armorie: devided into 3 Bookes, intituled the Concordes of Armorie, the Armorie of Honor and of lotes and creastes, page 42:

A Lion rampant regardant, the tail reverberant or beaten back, or reboundant, as having beaten it to his back, and it hath rebounded again from thence.

(heraldry, of a lion’s tail, rare) Turned up sigmoidally, with the end pointing outward; reboundant.


ermined

[...] one of them being, Argent, within a bordure gules, the cross, crown of thorns, scourges and nails: the field of the other is ermined gules, with the pillar of the flagellation, the spear and reed.

1851, Royal Archaeological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland, Memoirs Illustrative of the History and Antiquities of Norfolk and the City of Norwich, page 201:

(heraldry) Having an ermine tincture in a colour other than black and white.


ged

From Middle English gedde, from Old Norse gedda (“pike”), cognate with Icelandic gedda (“pike”), Danish gedde (“pike”).

(UK, dialect or heraldry) The pike or luce.


pizzled

On his shield was a lion rampant sable, pizzled azure.

(heraldry) Having the penis in a different tincture than the rest of the body.


countercharge

en-verb

countercharge (third-person singular simple present countercharges, present participle countercharging, simple past and past participle countercharged)

countercharges (present singular third-person)
countercharging (participle present)
countercharged (participle past)
countercharged (past)

(heraldry) To reverse the colors; to make counterchanged.


cross flory

crosses flory (plural)
cross fleury (alternative)

(heraldry) A cross with the ends of the arms flory, having a shape like a fleur-de-lis (⚜).


cross crosslet

en-noun

cross crosslet (plural crosses crosslet)

(heraldry) A cross with the ends of each arm crossed.


corded

CORDED : Bound round with cord, - as, a Bale gules, corded or.

1893, John Edwin Cussans, Handbook of Heraldry: With Instructions for Tracing Pedigrees and Deciphering Ancient Mss., Rules for the Appointment of Liveries, &c, page 128:

Sable, two bars argent, corded or wreathed gules - WAYE, Devonshire, confirmed 1574.

1894, Henry Gough, James Parker, A Glossary of Terms Used in Heraldry, page 132:

(heraldry) Wound about with a cord or cords of a specified tincture.


mascle

From Middle English mascle, maskel, from Old French mascle, macle, from Medieval Latin mascula, from a Germanic source (compare English mesh). Doublet of mail.

(heraldry) A lozenge with a smaller lozenge-shaped hole in the centre.


retrait

KETHEL in Holland uses, Azure, a pale retrait in chief (i.e., a demi-pal) soutenu by a chevron between three cauldrons or.

1892, John Woodward, George Burnett, A Treatise on Heraldry, British and Foreign: With English and French Glossaries, page 121:

The blazon : Arms : Per Saltire Gules and Or in fess two pellets pierced and in pale many plates also pierced on a chief Argent issuant as in chief seven pallets retrait two three and two Sable.

The upper margin is bordered by a low quality frieze bearing the coat of arms of Pope Gregory XV (r. 1621-1623) : gules, three bendlets retrait per fess […]

2010, Elena De Laurentiis, The Lost Manuscripts from the Sistine Chapel: An Epic Journey from Rome to Toledo:

(heraldry, rare) Not shown in full, but cut off at point it touches the edge of the shield, an ordinary, etc, as if retreating or withdrawn into that edge, ordinary, etc. (Compare issuant, naissant.)


maunch

maunches (plural)
manche (alternative)
maunche (alternative)

From Middle English maunche, from Old French maunche, one of the variants of manche, from Latin manica. Doublet of manche.


vairy

vairé (alternative)
verré (alternative)
verrey (alternative)

(heraldry, of a field or charge) Divided into vair-bells of two or more tinctures.


fretty

The coats of various noble British families were originally fretty, but later 'simplified' to a single fret

(heraldry) Covered with a lattice-like pattern of diagonally interlaced bendlets and bendlets sinister.


terrasse

From French terrasse (“terrace”). Doublet of terrace.

(heraldry) A representation of the ground, serving as the base for another object; a terrace.


sinople

sinople (countable and uncountable, plural sinoples)

sinoples (plural)
cinople (alternative)
sinoper (alternative)
sinopre (alternative)
sinoper (alternative)
synopre (alternative)
synopar (alternative)
synopeir (alternative)
synapour (alternative)
sinaper (alternative)
synaper (alternative)

From Old French sinople, from Latin Sinōpis, from Ancient Greek Σινωπίς (Sinōpís, “of Sinope”), a town that exported a red ocher. The unexpected change to meaning "green" in heraldry occurred in French texts around 1350 for unclear reasons.

der

In heraldry, sinople (the green of blazonry) also signified love, joy, abundance.

1903, George Field, Ellis A. Davidson, A grammar of colouring, applied to decorative painting and the arts:

Espinosa (Spain and Flanders) : Argent, a tree terrassé sinople, accosted by two wolves affrontés, sable […]

1903, Isidore Singer, Cyrus Adler, The Jewish Encyclopedia: A Descriptive Record of the History, Religion, Literature, and Customs of the Jewish People from the Earliest Times to the Present Day, page 128:

This shield argent with three lions sinople (green) has remained the coat of arms of the House of Lannoy. The young knight built a home in the woods around the seigneurie of Lys.

1984, Lucile Kathryn Delano, Charles De Lannoy, Victor of Pavia, →ISBN:


vergette

(heraldry) A small pale (vertical band down the middle of a shield).


essorant

(heraldry, of a bird) Standing, with wings spread, as if about to take flight.


apple of Grenada

en-noun

apple of Grenada (plural apples of Grenada)

For this service, he received from that monarch a picturesque addition to the arms of the family, in the form of a canton charged with the pomegranate (the apple of Grenada), which, as it was borne by his collateral descendants[…]


rayonnant

(heraldry) Giving off rays like those of the sun; rayonné; radiant.


accolé

accolée (alternative)
accolee (alternative)

From French accolé, past participle of accoler.

[…] and those of his heiress-wife; under the mistaken impression that the shield so used, accolé to his own, is that of the lady, whereas in my view it is that to which he is himself entitled, and to which she is not.

1896, John Woodward, A Treatise on Heraldry, British and Foreign: With English and French Glossaries, page 146:

(Stratford, Earl of Aldborough.) Polack Sculp. Chippendale Armorial, two shields accolé, with supporters, on a mantle.
(Stratford (Edward), Earl of Aldborough). Armorial. Two Shields accolé, with supporters.

1905, Augustus Wollaston Franks, Ellis's Catalogue of British and American Book-plates (ex-libris), page 185:

However, the reverse-gilt glass panel, decorated with three accolé coats of arms and the date 1571, applied over the cartouche on the front of the ewer, ...

2012, Wolfram KoeppeClare Le CorbeillerWilliam RiederCharles TrumanSuzanne G. ValensteinClare Vincentet al., The Robert Lehman Collection: Decorative arts. XV, Metropolitan Museum of Art, →ISBN, page 134:

(heraldry) Joined or placed side by side (with); (of a pair of shields) displayed side by side and often leaning on or towards each other.


étincelé

(heraldry, rare) Semé (strewn) with sparks.


ployé

Thus, Argent, a chevron ployé gules (d'Argent, au chevron ployé de gueules) is the coat of the Danish AUGUSTINS or OWSTINS; the reverse is that of the RODENEGGS, Counts WOLKENSTEIN.

1892, John Woodward, George Burnett, A Treatise on Heraldry, British and Foreign: With English and French Glossaries, page 137:


bleu celeste

Borrowed from French bleu céleste (“sky blue”).

(heraldry) A rarely-occurring sky-blue tincture, lighter than azure.


saltirewise

(heraldry) In the form of a saltire; crossing diagonally.


badelaire

Borrowed from French badelaire, baudelaire, a corruption of earlier (14th century) baselard.

(heraldry) This sword used as a heraldic charge.


sinisterwise

(heraldry, archaic) Sinister; on the left-hand side from the wearer's viewpoint.


dexterwise

[...] on the reverse is a fish, naiant dexterwise; the diameter is 0.02, and the material copper, silver being the only other metal used.

1876, The Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland, page 273:

In his day, however, only two types were known, one with an amphora and the other with a goat on the reverse, the obverse of both showing a helmeted head of Pallas facing dexterwise.

1879, Royal Geographical Society (Great Britain), The Journal of the Royal Geographic Society of London, page 165:

Or, a lion's gamb, erased dexterwise gules.

1884, Jacob Youde William Lloyd, The History of the Princes, the Lords Marcher, and the Ancient Nobility of Powys Fadog, and the Ancient Lords of Arwystli, Cedewen, and Meirionydd, page 198:

(heraldry, archaic) Dexter; on or toward the right-hand side from the wearer's perspective.


formée

Crest, two lances or, in saltier, headed ar. pennons hanging to them of the first, each charged with a cross formée gu.

1830, Thomas Robson (engraver.), The British herald, or Cabinet of armorial bearings of the nobility & gentry of Great Britain & Ireland:


forcené

From French forcené (“rabid”), past participle of forcener (“to go mad, become enraged”), from Middle French, from Old French forsener (“to be mad with rage”) (compare Old French forsenede (“one who has lost his mind”)), from for- + sen (“sense, reason, mind”), from Frankish *sinn (“sense, mind, judgement”).
Cognate with German Sinn (“sense, meaning, mind”), Dutch zin (“sense, desire”). More at for-, sense.

der

[…] sinister parted per fess Gules and Azure, in chief a horse forcené Argent between in sinister chief and dexter base an ancient crown Or, and in base a cross Gules fimbriated Argent between in each quarter five plates in saltire,[…]

2021 October 13, Judith Nasby, The Making of a Museum, McGill-Queen's Press - MQUP, →ISBN, page 122:

[…] leading troops in the background, his horse forcené, his right arm gesturing both ahead to the summit and.

2022 January 18, Charles Caramello, Riding to Arms: A History of Horsemanship and Mounted Warfare, University Press of Kentucky, →ISBN:

(chiefly heraldry, in reference to a horse) Rearing on the hind legs. (When another animal has this posture, it is termed rampant.)


barwise

en-adv

barwise (comparative more barwise, superlative most barwise)

more barwise (comparative)
most barwise (superlative)


bendwise

bendwise (comparative more bendwise, superlative most bendwise)

more bendwise (comparative)
most bendwise (superlative)

Az. a bend or betw. two dolphins embowed bendwise arg.

1892, Aaron Davis Weld French, Index Armorial to an Emblazoned Manuscript of the Surname of French: Franc, Francois, Frene and Others, Both British and Foreign, Boston, Priv. print., page 49:

(heraldry) Diagonally; placed like a bend, i.e. running from the dexter chief to the sinister base.


chevronwise

chevronwise (comparative more chevronwise, superlative most chevronwise)

more chevronwise (comparative)
most chevronwise (superlative)
chevronways (alternative)

CHEVRONNE, or Chevronny, ſignifies the dividing of the ſhield ſeveral times chevron-wiſe.

1771, Encyclopaedia Britannica, 1st ed., volume II, page 183:

(heraldry) Synonym of chevrony: chevron-like, in the manner of a chevron.


fesswise

(heraldry) In the manner of a fess; as a broad horizontal stripe.


palewise

An oblong figure fesswise divided palewise, from one end a thick projection, and in chief a crescent.

2007, Colin Stewart Sinclair Lyon, Sylloge of Coins of the British Isles, Oxford University Press, USA:

(chiefly heraldry) Divided by perpendicular vertical lines like pales.

Erm. three longbows palewise in fess gu.

1874, John Woody Papworth, An Alphabetical Dictionary of Coats of Arms Belonging to Families in Great Britain and Ireland, page 348:

Three roundels in chief and two horse-shoes palewise in base, probably intended for the arms of Daubeney and Ferrers.

1904, Devonshire Association for the Advancement of Science, Literature and Art, Transactions of the Devonshire Association for the Advancement of Science, Literature and Art, page 511:

Anchor: Placed palewise, unless otherwise blazoned

1965, Heather Child, Heraldic Design: A Handbook for Students, Genealogical Publishing Com, →ISBN, page 82:

In place of the rainbow there was, palewise on a field of gules, on either side of the shield, the broken lance which had caused the death of Henri II—Lacrymae hinc, hinc dolor was the motto. And to this symbolism of mourning was also[…]

2019 July 2, Jean Heritier, Catherine de Medici, Routledge, →ISBN:

In one shield the lis are positioned vertically or palewise, […] and the Poutrel lis were shown bend-wise in the glass at Prestwold church and pale-wise in Thomas Jenyns' Ordinary.

2020 January 9, Paul A. Fox, Great Cloister: A Lost Canterbury Tale: A History of the Canterbury Cloister, Constructed 1408-14, with Some Account of the Donors and their Coats of Arms, Archaeopress Publishing Ltd, →ISBN, page 540:

(chiefly heraldry) In the direction of or positioned like a pale: vertically.


palewise

It is essentially the upper portion (or triangle) of the saltire met slightly above the fess point by a palewise line originating from the middle base. No varied field Bendy seems to have been adopted from this division.

1972, Marvin H. Pakula, Heraldry and Armor of the Middle Ages:

Party - in ancient heraldry, the word party, used alone, implied a palewise division of the field.

1983, Charles Boutell, Boutell's Heraldry, Frederick Warne Publishers:


gillyflower

gillyflowers (plural)
gilliflower (alternative)
gilli-flower (alternative)
gilly-flower (alternative)
July-flower (alternative)
gilliver (alternative)
gilloflower (alternative)

By folk etymology (with influence from flower) from French girofle, gilofre, from Late Latin caryophyllum, from Ancient Greek καρυόφυλλον (karuóphullon, “dried flower buds of the clove tree”).

der

(heraldry) A stylized representation of a carnation blossom, usually red, and shown with or without a slip and leaves.


cinquefoil

cinquefoils (plural)
cinqfoil (alternative)
quinquefoil (alternative)

/ˈsɪŋkˌfɔɪl/

/ˈsæŋkˌfɔɪl/

From Old French cinqfoil, from cinq (“five”) + foil (“leaf”).

(heraldry) A stylized flower or leaf with five lobes.

quinquefoli

heraldry: stylized flower or leaf with five lobes


sexfoil

(heraldry) A stylized flower or leaf with six lobes


tiercé

(heraldry) Divided into three equal parts of three different tinctures; said of an escutcheon.


ravissant

(heraldry) In a half-raised position, as if about to spring on prey.

The Counts of Miranda quarter this coat with (2 and 3):—Arg. two wolves passant in pale Sa., each ravissant a lamb of the first; within a bordure Gu. charged with eight aspas Or for Avellenada..

And it came to pass that Clément Chardin des Lupeaulx, whose father was ennobled by Louis XV., and bore quarterly; of the first, argent, a wolf sable, ravissant, carrying a lamb, gules; of the second, purpur, three buckles argent, two and one; of the third, barry of six, gules and argent; of the fourth, gules, a caduceus winged and wreathed with serpents, vert; with four griffins' claws for supporters; and EN LUPUS In HISTORIA for a motto, managed to wurmount his half-burlesque escutcheon with a Count's coronet.

1900, Honoré de Balzac, Scenes from a Courtesan's Life, page 387:


Tudor rose

(heraldry) A heraldic emblem of England, formed from the red rose of Lancaster and the white rose of York.


crosslet

From Middle English crosselet, from Anglo-Norman croiselette; alternatively, cross + -let.

Then Vna gan to aske, if ought he knew, / Or heard abroad of that her champion trew, / That in his armour bare a croslet red.

1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book I, Canto VI”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:

(chiefly heraldry) A small cross with crossed arms.


delf

delfs (plural)
delves (plural)
delft (alternative)
delve (alternative)

From Middle English delf, delve, dælf (“a quarry, clay pit, hole; an artificial watercourse, a canal, a ditch, a trench; a grave; a pitfall”), from Old English delf, ġedelf (“delving, digging”) and dælf (“that which is dug, delf, ditch”), from Proto-West Germanic *delban (“to dig”), from Proto-Germanic *delbaną (“to dig”). More at delve.

two delves gules

(heraldry) A charge representing a square sod of turf, traditionally taking the form of a simple square (e.g. in the middle of an escutcheon), although modernly sometimes represented with the grass in profile.


Paschal Lamb

Paschal Lambs (plural)
paschal lamb (alternative)

[…]but when the Holy or Paschal Lamb is intended then the face should be guardant or reguardant.

1894, James Parker, A Glossary of Terms used in Heraldry, revised edition, page 362:

(heraldry) A lamb depicted with nimbus and bearing a flag (usually St. George's cross: argent a cross gules).

paaslam

heraldry: a lamb depicted with nimbus and bearing a flag


bouget

The heraldic sense derives from an older spelling and meaning of budget, "small bag" (compare Middle English bouget, bowgett (“a leather bag or wallet”)), from Middle French bougette (“little pouch”).

cog

(heraldry) A charge resembling a yoke and a pair of the water bags that were formerly used to supply an army in battle.


gonfalon

gonfalons (plural)
gonfalone (alternative)
gonfanon (alternative)

/ˈɡɑːn.fəˌlɑːn/

From Middle English gonfalon, from Old French gonfalon, from Frankish *gunþifanō, from Proto-Germanic *gunþifanô.

(heraldry) Alternative form of gonfanon.


gonfanon

/ˈɡɑːn.fəˌnɑːn/

(heraldry) A banner with three "tails", typically with the middle one longer than the others, and three loops at the top representing where it would have been attached to a pole.


couple-close

(heraldry) A diminutive of the chevron, always borne in closely placed pairs.

två smala sparrar

heraldry: diminutive of the chevron, always borne in pairs


dimidiate

en-verb

dimidiate (third-person singular simple present dimidiates, present participle dimidiating, simple past and past participle dimidiated)

dimidiates (present singular third-person)
dimidiating (participle present)
dimidiated (participle past)
dimidiated (past)

From Latin dīmidiātus, past participle of dīmidiāre (“to halve”).

[…] hybridization in the same vein is the beast shown as supporters to arms granted in 1971, where a unicorn dimidiates a lion rampant.

1973, Rhodesiana, numbers 28–31, The Rhodesia Africana Society, page 36:

(transitive, heraldry) To represent one half of, or undergo dimidiation with.


dimidiation

en-noun

dimidiation (countable and uncountable, plural dimidiations)

/dɪˌmɪdɪˈeɪʃən/

/daɪˌmɪdɪˈeɪʃən/

Continuing the Middle English dimydicion (circa 1425, in an arithmetical sense), from the Late Latin dīmidiātiō.

(heraldry) A marshalling of two coats of arms by the bisection per pale of their escutcheons and forming a new coat of arms from the dexter half of one coat and the sinister half of the other.

dīmidiātiō

heraldry: marshalling of two coats of arms from the dexter half of one coat and the sinister half of the other


undifferenced

In speculating upon this curious controversy, the question naturally arises, whether a plain and undifferenced coat-armorial descends to a man's heirs, according to the ordinary rules of heritable succession, or whether it happens[…]

1863, George Seton, The Law and Practice of Heraldry in Scotland, page 336:

Nowadays, even the successive heirs to the principal or undifferenced coat of arms usually rematriculate after a few generations, or bring up to date a pedigree in the Public Register of Genealogies, both for the purpose of putting on[…]

1956, Sir Thomas Innes of Learney, Scots Heraldry: A Practical Handbook on the Historical Principles and Modern Application of the Art and Science, Genealogical Publishing Com, →ISBN, page 109:

(heraldry) Not having a mark of difference.


millrind

(heraldry) A heraldic charge resembling a stylized millstone support of this kind.


cinqfoil

The wife of Saher was Margaret sister and coheir of Robert Earl of Leicester, whose seal exhibits a cinqfoil.

1869, William Smith Ellis, The Antiquities of Heraldry, pPage 226:

(heraldry) Alternative spelling of cinquefoil.


debruise

en-verb

debruise (third-person singular simple present debruises, present participle debruising, simple past and past participle debruised)

debruises (present singular third-person)
debruising (participle present)
debruised (participle past)
debruised (past)

STEPANOV -1- A : Per bend argent and gules, a lion rampant contourne proper; surtout on the sinister three costs azure the second and third debruising and clenched in the lion's forepaws. M: Gules lined argent.

1992, Donald R. Mandich, Joseph Anthony Placek, Russian Heraldry and Nobility, Dramco:

(heraldry) To partially obscure one charge with another.


tierced

(heraldry) Divided into three (e.g. vertically, horizontally, or per pall).


issuant

(heraldry) Issuing or emerging from something, especially from the bottom (or a division) of the field or chief, or from an ordinary.

(heraldry, by extension, of an animal) Having only the upper half depicted, especially if because it is issuing from something (such as a division of the field). (Compare naissant.)


compony

From French componé, from Old French compondre, from Latin compōnere (“put together, arrange, compile”). Cognate with English compose, compound.

der

(heraldry, postpositive) Divided into a line of squares of alternating tinctures.


vuln

en-verb

vuln (third-person singular simple present vulns, present participle vulning, simple past and past participle vulned)

vulns (present singular third-person)
vulning (participle present)
vulned (participle past)
vulned (past)

Irregularly derived from Latin vulnerāre.

The shield depicts a pelican vulning herself.

Of many other literary references to the pelican briefest mention can be now made . The variant relations of the piety of the bird are very interesting : according to one set of legends , it is to feed its young that the pelican vulns[…]

To left a gold pelican in nest vulns itself to draw blood for its young . 0287.0 pen : A naked arm and hand from clouds on left holding an iron stilus ( pen ) pointing to an inscription : ' I Petri Cap . 2 Ve .

1995, Peter Maurice Daly, Leslie T. Duer, Anthony Raspa, The English Emblem Tradition: Emblematic flag devices of the English Civil Wars 1642-1660:

The pelican was my high school's mascot, taken from the crest of our school's founding family. The pelican is a Christ symbol, I had been told, because according to legend it vulns itself to feed its young. I saw a second pelican[…]

2007 May 15, Mark Oppenheimer, Thirteen and a Day: The Bar and Bat Mitzvah Across America, Macmillan, →ISBN, page 103:

... no to rent rise " posters'.40 Other campaign posters featured a giant pelican - the symbol of Corpus Christi - feasting on a group of tiny human beings , with the tag line : ' The vampire pelican vulns its young to feed itself.

2012 September 26, Mehdi Hasan, ED: The Milibands and the Making of a Labour Leader, Biteback Publishing, →ISBN:

(heraldry) Of a pelican, to wound (oneself) by biting at the breast.


statant

a lion statant

(heraldry, of an animal) Standing on all four feet or paws.


triangled

The third, Gules triangled, or […]

1729, Abel Boyer, Le Grand théâtre de l'honneur et de noblesse … [assisted by John Innes?] Fr. & Eng, page 331:

Fish are borne different ways; upright, embowed, extended, endorsed, surmounted of each other, fretted, triangled, &c. All fish borne feeding should be termed devouring ...

1788, George Shelby Howard, THE NEW ROYAL CYCLOPAEDIA, page 1129:

(heraldry) Divided into triangles (said of the field).


guardant

From Old French guardant, present participle of guarder (“to watch”).

(heraldry, of an animal) Positioned with the body viewed from the side, but with the head turned toward the viewer.


hurty

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-hurty.wav

(heraldry) Semé (strewn) with hurts (roundels azure).


vorant

For quotations using this term, see Citations:vorant.

(heraldry, of an animal) Devouring something.


hauriant

From Latin hauriēns (“drawing (water, etc.); draining”), the present participle of hauriō (“to draw (water, etc.); to drain”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ews- (“to draw water”).

der

three salmon hauriant

(heraldry) Of a fish, etc.: in a vertical orientation, with its head up (to chief) and tail down (to base).


saltant

From Latin saltans, present participle of saltare (“to dance”), v. intens. from salire (“to leap”): compare French sautant. See sally (verb).

Why the devil, can you deny that you've not a partiality for cats, ha! ha! ha! [...] the feline species is preserved - the crest is very evident a kitten saltant, ha! heh! heh!

1808, The Critical Review, Or, Annals of Literature, page 91:

"The luce is the fresh fish; the salt fish is an old coat." This speech is an heraldric puzzle. It is pretty clear that "the dozen white luces" apply to the arms of the Lucy family. [...] Since our first edition we have received an ingeniuous explanation from a correspondant, "A Lover of Heraldry." "The arms of the Lucies (not quartered by the Duke of Northumberland) are gules, three lucies hauriant, argent. [...] 'The salt fis (i.e. the fish or luce saltant) is an old coat.' Without taking it as a strict and formed adjective, I think in Shallow's mouth the salt luces may well mean the saltant lucies."

1867, The Comedies, Histories, Tragedies, and Poems of William Shakspere: Comedies, page 41:

Two lions saltant as vis-a-vis, but reversed, one with head up, the other down.

1893, Journal of the Derbyshire Archæological and Natural History Society, page 43:

The issue at the bottom is decorated by two lions saltant.

1905, Ferdinand Justi, Sara Yorke Stevenson, Morris Jastrow (Jr.), Central and eastern Asia in antiquity, page 91:

Crest a squerrill saltant gules upon a rugged staffe party per fece gold and vert the leaues counterchanged, sett upon a wreath siluer and Sable, the mantletts gules doubled siluer, Botoned gold as it appeareth in ye margent.

1925, The Publications of the Harleian Society, page 78:

(heraldry) In a leaping position; springing forward; salient.


subordinary

(heraldry) Any device that is given less status (typically because it is less common or less simple) than the normal ordinaries.


brisure

/bɹɪˈʒʊə(ɹ)/

From French brisure, from briser (“to break”).

The baton is made now very short by the French, who call it baton peri, and is always a brisure, frequently made use of by the younger sons of France, of which I have treated in my marks of cadency, and shall do so again[…]

1804, Alexander Nisbet, A system of heraldry ..., page 89:

But the bar (being a horizontal piece, a diminutive of the Fess), is not used like the French barre as a brisure for illegitimacy; a bar-sinister is an absurdity and impossibility.

1896, John Woodward, A Treatise on Heraldry, British and Foreign: With English and French Glossaries, page 172:

(heraldry) A mark of cadency or difference.


reclinant

en-adj

reclinant (comparative more reclinant, superlative most reclinant)

more reclinant (comparative)
most reclinant (superlative)

From Latin reclinans, present participle. See recline.


murally

(heraldry) With a mural crown; found chiefly in the phrases murally crowned and murally gorged.


at gaze

When he wished to draw Harvey's attention to the peak-halyards, he dug his knuckles into the back of the boy's neck and kept him at gaze for half a minute.

1897, Rudyard Kipling, Captains Courageous:

Lord John was standing at gaze with his finger on the trigger of his elephant-gun, his eager hunter's soul shining from his fierce eyes.

1912, Arthur Conan Doyle, The Lost World […], London; New York, N.Y.: Hodder and Stoughton, →OCLC:

They were prick-eared animals, roused by her voice from their business and standing now at gaze.

1955, William Golding, The Inheritors, Faber and Faber, published 2005, page 52:

(chiefly heraldry) Gazing; standing so as to stare (especially of deer); statant guardant. (Compare at bay.)


septfoil

(heraldry) A stylized flower or leaf with seven lobes.


flotant

floatant (alternative)
flottant (alternative)

Old French flotant, (French flottant), present participle of floter (“to float”).

a banner flotant

(heraldry) Represented as flying (fluttering) or floating mid-air or in water.


ferruled

(heraldry) Alternative form of viroled, veruled.


gemel

From Middle English gemow, from Old French gemel, from Latin gemellus, diminutive of geminus (“twin”). The modern form is influenced by the Latin etymon.

two gemells silver between two griffins passant

1698, John Strype, Life of the learned Sir Thomas Smith:

(heraldry) One of a pair of small bars placed together.


gemel

A bar gemel / Two bars gemels, or two barrulets placed near and parallel to each other.


lunel

From French lunel, a heraldic term based on lune (“moon”). Compare Spanish lunel, Italian lunello.

(heraldry) A charge formed by four crescents in cross with their horns pointing inwards.


dancetté

From French danché, related to dent (“tooth”).

dancettée (alternative)
dancetty (alternative)

A fess dancetté has only three teeth in the whole width of the escutcheon.

(heraldry) Deeply indented; having large teeth.


lioncel

lioncels (plural)
lioncelle (alternative)

(heraldry) A small lion, when one of several in a coat of arms.


denticulated

(heraldry, of a bordure, very rare) Embattled, but with only the projecting portions visible, so that the bordure appears non-contiguous (but the spaces are part of the field, unlike compony).


countervair

(heraldry) A heraldic fur resembling vair, except in the arrangement of the patches or figures: succeeding rows are reversed instead of staggered, so the bases of the panes of each tincture are opposite those of the same tincture in adjoining rows.


lozengy

(heraldry) Divided into or composed of rhombuses (lozenges).


flanched

Gules, flanched ermine, on a chief azure three suns in splendour or.

1884, William Harvey, The Visitations of Bedfordshire: Annis Domini 1566, 1582, and 1634, page 99:

Fig. 58, Or, flanched gules.

1898, Edward Singleton Holden, A Primer of Heraldry for Americans, page 127:

(heraldry) Having flanches (often of a specified tincture).