Back to the Glossary Contents

Alphabetic List

This list is probably not comprehensive. Some terms, e.g. those referring to ordinaries and sub-ordinaries, have been omitted. It has been culled from various reference books over many years... If you find any mistakes, please let me know and I will try and put them right. Thanks to Don Bloomfield and Irene Szymanski for several suggestions.

Note that in many cases there are alternative spellings for terms such as semy=semé. Several of the terms are obsolete, very rarely used, or only used in French heraldry.


A B C D E F G H I J L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y

  A

Abaissé = abased
lowered; specifically when a charge appears lower on the shield than normal
Abouté
placed or connected end-to-end
Accollé
side-by-side, especially of 2 shields; also = gorged
Accosted
side-by-side
Acorné
horned or attired
Addorsed = adossé = endorsed
back-to-back
Affronté
(of animals) turned to face fully out of the shield. Not the same as guardant
Aiguisé = Urdé
pointed (usually of a dividing line etc.)
Aislé
winged
A la cuisse
(of animal’s leg) at the thigh, as in couped à la cuisse
Aland = alant
a mastiff with short ears
A(l)lerion
an eagle displayed without legs or beak
Alisé
globular
Allumé
(of beast’s eyes) flecked with colour
Amphipètre
a winged serpent
Amphisien cockatrice
same as Basilisk
Ancré, anchory
same as moline; of crosses, with the ends of the arms splayed and curved
Angenne
sexfoil (like a cinquefoil but with 6 petals). A French term which can also refer to 4- and 5-foils
Animé
with fire issuing from the mouth and ears (of animals)
Annodated
embowed or curved in the form of the letter S
Annulet
a ring; a sub-ordinary
Annuletté = annulated or annuly
ringed at the ends
Antelope = Ibex
heraldic monster like a tyger with serrated horns and deer’s legs. The antelope’s horns point backwards, the ibex’s forwards according to some references
Ap(p)aumé = appalmed
showing the palm (of hand or gauntlet) cf. Aversant
Apre(e)
a short-tailed ox (rare)
Argent
silver, often shown white
Aquilated
scattered with eagles’ heads (rare)
Arbalest = arblast
a crossbow
Arched = enarched
in the form of an arch
Armed
used of animals, referring to their “weapons” – claws, tusks, beaks, talons etc. which are often of a different colour from the rest of the animal
Armes parlantes
allusive arms (equivalent to a canting coat)
Arraché
same as erased
Arrondie
rounded or curved
Aspectant
looking at one another (of animals)
Aspersed
same as semé, i.e. scattered
Assis
same as séjant, i.e. sitting
Attires
antlers of stag. Attired means with antlers (usually of a particular colour)
Aulned
bearded (of barley)
Aversant
showing the back (of the hand) cf. Appaumé
Aylets
sea-swallows; birds resembling choughs
Ayrant
in the nest (used of birds; rare)
Azure
blue

Back to the Alphabet

  B

Bagwyn
a monster with the head and horns of a heraldic antelope and the body of a horse
Bailloné
gagged, e.g. a lion with a staff in its mouth
Bale-fire
a beacon (usually an iron basket on a tall pole)
Band(e)
same as a bend. See ordinaries
Bar
an ordinary, a horizontal strip half the width of a fess; usually occur in pairs. The bar gemel is a special case of a pair of narrow bars treated as a single unit
Barb
(a) an arrow head; (b) the pointed sepals of a heraldic rose
Barded
furnished with bardings, e.g. the caparison of a horse
Barnacle = breg
a curb of curious curved form, used on a horse’s nose
Barre
sometimes used to mean a bend sinister. A term used in French heraldry to mean a bend (usually dexter, but apparently occasionally also sinister). Historically it seems that barre, bande and bend(e) were interchangeable, and probably simply meant a stripe
Barrulé/y sans nombre
barry of many (unspecified number)
Barry
a division of the field into horizontal stripes, usually 6 or 8; the number should be specified
Bascinet
a type of helm
Basilisk
a monster in the form of a wyvern with a dragon’s head on the end of its tail
Ba(s)ton
a bendlet or cotise couped; originally a narrow ribbon across a shield much like a cotise
Battled
a dividing line in the form of battlements. Battled embattled or battled grady has the embattled sections themselves embattled
Battled Counter-embattled
(em)battled on both sides – used of a fess or bend which is normally only embattled on the top
Bend
an ordinary, a diagonal band across the shield (top left/bottom right as viewed). Its diminutive is a bendlet or a cotise if it is really narrow. A bend cotised is bordered on either side by a narrow cotise
Bend Sinister
like a bend but running the other way
Bendy
a division of the field into diagonal stripes (top left-bottom right as viewed). Bendy sinister has the stripes running top right-botom left as viewed)
Bengal Tiger
a realistic tiger, cf heraldic tyger
Beson = bird bolt
a blunt or round-headed arrow
Bevilled
form of dividing line
Bezant
a gold roundle
Billet
a charge which looks like a rectangular brick, taller than wide
Blasted
(of tree) leafless or withered
Botonné, botonny
with rounded, button-like projections, used of crosses
Blazon
the heraldic description of arms; there are rules for blazoning
Bouget
a stylised representation of a water carrier originally made of animal skins; a common charge
Bourdon
a palmer’s staff
Braced = brazed
interlaced (e.g. of chevrons)
Brettessé
embattled on both sides (e.g. of a fess)
Brock
badger (the animal - brock is a common dialect name, even today)
Burgeoné
a fleur de lys with closed petals, in bud
Burgonet
a type of helm
Burulé
same as barruly

Back to the Alphabet

  C

Caboshed
of animal’s head: affronté and cut off so that no part of the neck is visible
Calopus = chatloup
a monster similar to a wolf but with horns
Calvary cross
a particular form of cross with a long basal part, usually shown on three steps, when it is said to be mounted on three degrees
Camelopard
a giraffe
Camelopardel
a giraffe with two long curved horns
Canting coat
a “punning”coat of arms, e.g. the de Lucy arms are gules 3 lucies hauriant or, that is 3 vertical gold lucies (pike-fish) on a red background
Canton
small square in the top corner; smaller than a quarter but bigger than a chequer
Cantoned
of a charge placed in canton’s position; also of a cross placed between 4 charges
Carbuncle = escarbuncle = charbocle
ornamental boss with sceptre-like rays, usually 8
Cat-a-mountain
the wildcat, shown as tabby
Centaur(ry) = sagittary
a centaur, i.e. a man-horse, with a bow and arrow
Cercelé = recercelé
a type of cross with much-curved ends
Cerise
same as a torteau or red roundle; the term (Fr. cherry) is obsolete
Chape
the metal tip of a scabbard
Chaplet
a garland of flowers, usually shown conventionally
Chatloup = calopus
a monster similar to a wolf but with horns
Chaussé
wearing shoes (probably chaussé of a particular colour)
Checky or Chequy
a field like a chessboard, almost always of a metal and a colour. A chequer as a charge is a single small square, usually in the topmost corner
Chevron
an ordinary, a very common charge. An upward-pointing chevron, originally derived from the rafters of a roof. The diminutive is a chevronel, and a field can be chevronny
Chief
an ordinary, a horizontal strip across the top (third) of the shield; does not oppress or over-write other charges
Chinese Dragon
a monster like a lizard; it has no wings
Cinquefoil
a very common charge, in the form of a stylised 5-petalled flower
Civic crown
a wreath of oak leaves and acorns
Clam
same as escallop (shell of a very particular form)
Clarion = claricord
an instrument (musical?) of varying form; rather like a small harp but without strings
Clechy
a rare term, usually used of crosses such as in the arms of Raymond of Toulouse (d. 1249), which are blazoned gules, a cross clechy voided and botonny or....although sources differ the most likely sense is the shape of the cross, similar to paty but with pointed ends
Climant
same as rampant; used of goats
Close
of a bird, standing on the ground, trussed, with the wimgs closed
Cloué
fastened with nails
Cockatrice
a monster, like a wyvern but with a cock’s head, comb and wattles, and a barbed tongue
Cocke
a chess-rook
Cockle = cocquel
same as escallop
Coif de mailles
a chain mail hood
Colomb
a dove
Complexed
intertwined
Componé = compony or gobony
a single row of chequers or alternating squares of 2 colours; common in borders
Concavé
arched
Confronté
(of animals) facing one another
Contoise
a scarf round a helm
Contourné
reguardant; also facing sinister
Contre-hermines
the French term for ermines; see furs
Corbie
a crow or raven
Cost
(rare term) same as cotise
Coticé
bendy of many
Cotise
a diminutive of the fess or bend ordinaries; a thin strip often bordering an ordinary, e.g. a bend cotised has a thin band parallel to the main charge, one on each side
Couchant
(of animals) lying down, but with the head and tail erect, cf. dormant
Couché
a shield hanging from its (sinister chief) corner
Counter-charged = counter-changed
swopping colours between field and charge. Commonly used when the field is parted (see Divisions of the Shield)
Counter-compony
double row of chequers
Counter-passant
passing in opposite directions. Similarly counter-rampant etc.
Coupé
parted fesswise, i.e. across the shield
Couped
cut short
Crampet
same as chape
Crancelin
a small garland; same as a bend treflé, seen for example in the arms of Saxony
Crenellé = crenellated
same as embattled
Crescent
a very common charge, a crescent shown with the points upwards
Cresset
a fire-basket (usually shown as a metal brazier)
Crined
of hair or mane (e.g. crined sable)
Cronel
“the crown-shaped head of a tournament spear”
Crosses
there are literally hundreds of heraldic crosses; see Crosses for the commoner ones
Crowns
there are several different types
Cross crosslet
a cross with each of its arms crossed at the ends; rarely occur singly, often fitchy, i.e. with a pointed foot
Crusily
scattered with little crosses
Cubit arm
a hand and arm couped below the elbow
Cuirass
a breastplate

Back to the Alphabet

  D

Damasked
diapered, i.e. decorated with a fine pattern; usually an ornamental pattern used within a large expanse of a single colour as in a field
Dance, daunce or dansette
a fess dancetty; see Ordinaries
Dancetty
a dividing line with zig-zag edges
Dantelly
same as dancetty
Debruised
of a charge overlain by an ordinary, e.g. a lion debruised by a bend
Dechaussé
dismembered
Decollated = decollé
cut off at the neck
Decrescent
a crescent with its horns to the sinister cf. Increscent
Defamed = infamed
with no tail (used e.g. of lions)
Degrees
steps, as of a Calvary cross
Dexter
the right hand side of the shield, but the left as viewed
“de l’un en autre”
same as counter-charged
Disclosed
(of birds, esp. not birds of prey) with wings expanded. Equivalent to displayed, which is used of birds of prey
Displayed
(of birds, esp. eagles) with the wings held up and expanded; also used of a peacock’s tail
Disponed = disposed
arranged
Distilling
shedding drops
Dormant
(of animals) asleep, lying down with the head and (usually also) tail down, the head resting on the fore-paws. cf. couchant
Double quatrefoil
same as octofoil; like a cinquefoil but with 8 petals. Used as difference mark for 9th son
Doubling
the lining of a mantle or robe
Dovetailed
a dividing line in the form of dove-tailing
Dragon
The heraldic dragon is a 4-legged beast with a horny head, barbed tongue, scaly back, armoured rolls on the chest and belly, 2 bat-like wings, 4 legs with talons like an eagle’s, and a pointed tail often with an arrow-like end. It is usually shown rampant, statant or passant, and rarely displayed like an eagle. A sea dragon has no wings
Duciper
a cap of dignity, a special form of hat

Back to the Alphabet

  E

Ecartelé
quarterly
Eguiscé
same as aiguisé
Embattled
with battlement-like projections, used of dividing lines etc., e.g. a chief embattled. See Ordinaries
Embowed
of fish, swimming with a bowed or bent (upwards) body
Embrued = imbrued
stained with blood
Enaluron
same as entoire
Endorsed
same as addorsed; also as in a pale endorsed (see Ordinaries). The endorse is a diminutive of the pale, even narrower than a pallet
Enfield
a monster with a fox’s head and ears, wolf’s body, back legs and tail, eagle’s legs and talons for forelegs
Engoulé
pierced through the mouth
Engrailed
a dividing line with semi-circular bites taken out from the field side, cf. invected
Enhanced
raised above the normal position on the shield
Ensigned
of a charge having insignia, e.g. a crown, placed above it
Enté = enty
(ancient term, now obsolete) party chevronwise
Entire
(of charge extending to the edges of the shield)
Entoire = entoyre
of a border, when charged, esp. with inanimate figures. If charged with birds, occasionally termed enaluran; with animals, enurney
Entoured
of a shield with a wreath or garland placed over it
Enurney
same as entoire
Environed = environée = enveloped
surrounded or wreathed
Equipped
fully armed or caparisoned (e.g. of a knight on horseback)
Eradicated
(of plants) uprooted
Erased
torn off to leave ragged edges (e.g. animals’ heads)
Erect
(of snakes etc.) upright, head to the top
Ermine, Ermines, Erminois
see fursermine is by far the commonest fur, with black tails on a white background
Ermine spots
sometimes found as charges, apart from the fur
Erminites
variation of ermine (see furs)
Erne
an eagle
Escallop
a scallop shell, usually rather stylised; a common charge
Escallopé
scattered with escallops
Escarp
same as scarp
Escartelly
a dividing line with a single battlement-like projection
Escroll
a scroll or ribbon
Escutcheon
small shield-shaped charge. An escutcheon of pretence is a small shield bearing arms superimposed over another; the superimposed arms usually belong to an (heraldic) heiress who has married the man bearing the main arms
Estoile
a star, usually shown with 6 wavy points. cf. mullet
Estoilé
scattered with stars

Back to the Alphabet

  F

Falchion
a kind of scimitar
False
voided, empty
Fasces
“victor’s axe in its bundle of rods” – the bundle being of wood bound with ?leather bands
Feathered
(of arrows) flighted
Fer-de-moline
same as mill iron
Fermail, fermaux
buckle(s)
Ferr
a horseshoe
Ferrated
(rare) scattered with horseshoes
Fess
an ordinary, a horizontal stripe across the middle of the shield, occupying about a third of the height
Fess point
the central point of a shield
Fetterlock
a shackle or padlock (obsolete = shakbolt)
Figured
charged with the representation of a human face, e.g. the sun’s disc
File
(rare) same as label
Fimbriated
with a narrow border of a different colour
Firmé
extending to the edges of the shield
Fitchy
(of crosses) with the shaft tapering to a point
Flambeau
flaming torch
Fla(u)nches
curved areas at the sides of a shield; see Sub-ordinaries
Fla(u)nched
of a shield in which only the flanches are charged
Flax breaker
hemp brake, a serrated instrument
Fleam
a surgical instrument, a kind of razor with a curved blade
Flesh-pot
a cauldron, usually with three legs
Fleur de lys
a very common charge, representing a stylised lily. e.g. France (modern) is azure three fleur de lys or. The Scout badge is also a fleur de lys
Fleury
scattered with fleur de lys; also refers to charges ornamented with fleur de lys
Flittermouse
a bat (animal)
Flot(t)ant
floating
Floretty
of a cross, with fleur-de-lys like ornaments issuing from the ends, which are often shown formy
Flory
of a cross, with fleur-de-lys shaped ends
Fluke
(of an anchor) point
Foliated
with leaf-like cusps
Forcené
enraged (of a horse – rearing up with both hind legs on the ground)
Formy
same as paty (of a cross), with splayed ends
Fountain, heraldic
a roundel barry wavy argent and azure: suggests a spring of water
Fourché
forked, usually of a lion's tail, and normally into 2 parts. An early form of cross, with forked ends – see Crosses
Fracted
broken
Fraise
stylised strawberry flower, shown equally 5-pointed like a cinquefoil
Fret, Fretty
interlaced strips; a sub-ordinary
Fumant
smoking
Fusil
a narrow lozenge; a sub-ordinary. A field can be fusilly
Fylfot
a type of cross with bent arms

Back to the Alphabet

  G

Gad or Gadlyng
small spike or boss on the knuckles of a gauntlet, often purely decorative
Gamb = Jamb
leg of a beast
Garb
a sheaf of corn
G(u)ardant
animal, usually lion, with its head turned to look straight out of the shield, but its body remaining in profile
Gastell
(obsolete) a roundle
Gauntlet
armoured glove
Gaze
an animal, e.g. deer, is “at gaze” when looking out of the shield; cf guardant
Ged
pike (fish)
Gemel
twinned/paired, usually of bars
Gemel or Gimmel-rings
2 or 3 annulets interlaced
Genet
spotted animal resembling a marten
Geraltyng, geratting
powdering fields (with tiny charges) for difference. Like semy, but so that ‘none of the charges are cut by the edge of the shield’
Gliding = Glissant
slithering, used of snakes
Gobony
a single row of chequers or alternating squares of 2 colours; common in borders; same as compony
Golpe
(rare) a purple roundle
Gorge
same as Gurges, a stylised whirlpool
Gorged
encircled around the neck or throat (often used when an animal has a crown or collar around the neck)
G(o)utté
scattered in drops. A goutte is a drop of liquid. It has different names depending on the colour, cf. roundles, viz:
orgoutte d’or[of gold]
argentgoutte d’eau[of water]
azuregoutte de larmes[of tears]
gulesgoutte de sang[of blood]
sablegoutte de poix[of pitch]
vertgoutte d’olive
or goutte d’huile
[of olives or (olive) oil]
Gradient
walking slowly, as of tortoise
Grafted
grafted and fixed into something
Grappling iron
represented as a 4-pointed anchor
Gray
a brock or badger
Greeces, grieces
steps, degrees
Grice
a young boar
Griffin or Gryphon
The head, breast and claws of an eagle, with the hindquarters and tail of a lion. It has ears. If rampant it is termed segreant. A male griffin has no wings but often has horns and a spiky tail
Gringolé = Guivré
garnished with serpents’ heads
Gules
red
Guige
shield-belt
Guivré
same as Gringolé
Gunstone, Gunshot
a black roundle
Gurge(s), Gorge
a stylised whirlpool, shown as either a spiral or concentric circles of azure and argent
Guze
a sanguine (blood-red or crimson) roundle
Gyron
a sub-ordinary; a triangle-shaped charge, half a canton
Gyronny
a field divided into (usually) eight triangular pieces meeting in the centre

Back to the Alphabet

  H

Habited
clothed
Hackle
a hemp-brake, a curious agricultural tool
Halo
glory or nimbus
Harboured
same as lodged, used for “animals of the chase”, i.e. deer etc.
Harpy
a monster with the head and breasts of a woman and the body and wings of an eagle or vulture
Hauriant
(of fish) vertical with the head upwards, supposedly to breathe or draw in air
Hausé
above its normal position (very rare)
Hawk’s Lure
a decoy used in falconry, consisting of 2 wings with the points downwards, joined by a line (rope) and ring
Hayfork
same as shakefork, a Y-shaped figure
Hemp-brake
same as hackle, an agricultural tool
Hermines
ermine (in French heraldry)
Hippocampus
a (real) seahorse
Hippogriff
a monster, a kind of griffin/horse hybrid, with the front of a female griffin and the back of a horse
Humetty = Humetté
cut short at the ends
Hurst
a clump of trees or copse
Hurt
a blue roundle; possibly derived from a whortleberry or blueberry
Hydra
a 7-headed dragon

Back to the Alphabet

  I

Ibex
animal similar to heraldic antelope, but with forward-pointing straight, serrated horns. Some books do not distinguish between the two animals.
Impartible arms
arms which appear to be composed of separate quarters, but which cannot be sub-divided, perhaps by reason of a border all round
Incensed
with fire coming from the mouth and ears
Increscent
a crescent with its points to dexter, cf. Decrescent
Indented
a dividing line, of small zig-zags
Inflamed
burning
Infulae
ribbons hanging from a bishop’s mitre
In Glory
of the sun – surrounded by rays
Ink-moline
a mill iron
In Lure
of 2 wings, joined and with the tips down
In Point
charges arranged pilewise, almost meeting at the base of the shield [pointe is the French term for a pile, and also the bottom of the shield]
In Pride
a peacock is “in his pride” when his tail is displayed or spread out
In Quadrangle
4 charges, one in each corner
In Splendour
of the sun with rays; similar to “in glory”
Invected
a dividing line, of semi-circular bites from the charge into the field, cf. engrailed
Inverted
of wings, with the tips down; upside down
Issuant
issuing or emerging from; usually from the bottom of a chief, or rising from another charge or the base of the shield. Can be used of a beast of which the upper half alone is visible.

Back to the Alphabet

  J

Jacent
lying horizontally (rare)
Javelin
short, barbed spear
Jelopped
wattled (of cockerel)
Jessant
shooting forth (e.g. of plants)
Jessant-de-lis
with a fleur-de-lis issuing from the mouth; of animals, usually a leopard’s face

Back to the Alphabet

  L

Label
a sub-ordinary in the form of a strip across the top of a shield with 3, 5 or more short vertical tabs; often white, but commonly azure in early arms, the label is frequently used to difference arms.
Langued
used of animals (see Lions) or birds – “tongued” of a particular colour
Latin or Long Cross
a cross with the lower limb longer than the other three
Latticed
same as trellissed, a trellis of overlapping strips, not interleaved but nailed together often with nails of a contrasting colour; not the same as fret(ty)
Legged
used of birds’ legs
Leopard
usually means a lion passant guardant, but recently the term also covers ‘real’ biological leopards
Lined
doubled, as in cloth linings; also having cords or chains attached to a collar etc.
Lion poisson
heraldic sea-lion, a sort of marine lion
Lindworm
(also lindorm) a heraldic dragon or wyvern without wings; a rare beast, sometimes breathing fire and usually with two legs
Liver-bird
cormorant
Lodged
of animals, lying with the legs bent under; much the same as couchant
Lozenge
a very common charge, like the diamond on playing cards; a sub-ordinary. A field can be lozengy
Luce, Lucy
pike (fish)
Lure
see Hawk’s Lure
Lymphad
ancient galley, a particular form of sailing ship

Back to the Alphabet

  M

Main
hand
Manticora
a monster, a man-tiger or man-lion
Marined
of beast, ending in a fish-tail
Martlet
a bird, conventionally drawn as a swallow without feet or legs
Mascle
a voided lozenge, a Subordinary used as a mark of distinction for a divorced lady
Masoned
of masonry or buildings, when the cement or mortar is of a different colour from the stone
Ma(u)nch
a long sleeve from a lady’s gown, usually drawn conventionally. A common charge
Melusine
a two-tailed mermaid
Membered
of the legs of a bird, esp. eagle
Merlion or Merlette
a martlet or legless swallow
Mill-iron or Millrind
the iron fixing in the centre of a millstone, which takes many varied forms; occasionally the term is used for a cross moline
Misericorde
short dagger (worn on the right)
Molet, Mullet
5-pointed star; sometimes shown pierced so that a small circle of the field colour shows through in the middle. cf. estoile
Moline
of crosses, with the arms ending in a 2-way splay rather like a windmill
Monsters
there are many heraldic monsters; fantastic animals or birds, including man-animal crosses such as centaurs and mermaids
Morion
steel cap or helmet
Morse
clasp or band fastening a robe, often ornamented
Mound
an orb, i.e. a gold ball surmounted by a cross, as carried by the Sovereign at a coronation
Mount
hill or hillock
Mullet
see Molet (above)
Muraille
masoned, refers to the mortar in a wall
Murrey
mulberry-coloured; very rare
Musimon
a monster, a cross between a ram and a goat, with 4 horns
Mutil
dismembered (of animals)

Back to the Alphabet

  N

Naiant = Natant
swimming horizontally (of fish)
Naissant
living creature issuant from the middle of an ordinary, usually a fess
Nebuly
a form of dividing line, similar to wavy but with deeper indents
Nerved
of the fibres or veins of leaves
Nowed
knotted, usually used of lion’s tail
Nowy
a form of dividing line with a semi-circular bump in the middle
Nuancb
same as nebuly

Back to the Alphabet

  O

Obsidional crown
a garland of twigs and grasses
Ogress
a black roundle
Ond or Undd
a dividing line, rather like water waves; same as wavy
Ongl
same as unguled, i.e. hoofed (of goats, bulls etc.)
Opinicus
a monster with a griffin’s head, neck and wings, a lion’s body and a bear’s tail [heraldic bears usually have a tail!]. Some references suggest the tail is that of a camel!
Oppressed
same as debruised, i.e. obscuring an underlying charge, e.g. a lion oppressed by a bend
Or
gold, usually shown as yellow
Orange
either an orange roundle (rare) or the fruit (also rare, and likely to be blazoned an orange proper)
Oreiller
a cushion, usually the kind that has a crown or carried on it
Organ-rest
same as a clarion – a kind of musical instrument of curious form
Orle
a sub-ordinary in the form of a narrow band runing round the shield
Over all
of a charge like a bend overlying everything else on the shield, for instance quarterings
Overt
open, as of wings

Back to the Alphabet

  P

Pairle or Pall
an ordinary in the shape of a Y
Pale
an ordinary – a central vertical strip occupying the central part (approx. one third) of the shield
Paly
a division of the field into vertical stripes, usually 6; best to specify the number
Pallet
the diminutive of the pale, i.e. a narrow vertical strip
Panache
an arrangement of feathers forming the crest on a helm
Panther
Much as a real panther, but usually shown incensed, i.e. with flames issuing from its mouth and ears
Papegay
a popinjay or parrot
Party
a field divided, usually into two: party per pale is divided vertically; ... per fess horizontally, ...per chevron chevronwise, etc. Party on its own implies party per pale (ancient usage)
Pascuant
grazing (of animal)
Passant
walking, of animal, usually a lion. Shown with one forepaw raised, usually facing to dexter (left as viewed). Also, of a cross whose arms extend to the edge of the shield (obsolete, say 13th century!)
Passion Cross
same as a Latin cross, i.e. with the bottom limb longer than the other three
Paternoster Cross
formed of beads (as in rosary)
Patriarchal Cross
with a long lower limb and two crossbars, the upper one being shorter; the cross of Lorraine
Patonce
of a cross with splayed ends splitting into three; “paw-shaped”. See Crosses
Paty
same as formy (of a cross), with splayed ends
Pawne
a peacock, usually in his pride, i.e. with tail fully displayed
Pean
a fur, like ermine but with gold spots on sable
Pegasus
A winged horse
Pellet
a black roundle. In early heraldry could be a roundle of any colour
Penned
of the shaft or quill of a feather
Per Fess
shield divided fesswise, i.e. horizontally. Similarly per pale for a vertical division etc. See Divisions of the Shield
Perclose
a demi-garter including the buckle and pendant
Pheon
a broad arrowhead with the inner edges engrailed
Phoenix
An eagle rising from the flames
Pile
an ordinary, a triangle issuing from the top of the shield
Pinioned
having wings
Pinson
a chaffinch
Plate
a silver roundle, derived from a silver coin
Plenitude (of moon)
the full moon
Plumetty
a field of overlapping feathers (rare)
Pommé
of crosses, with each arm ending in a single round knob, like an apple
Pommetée
same as botonny: with knob-like projections, used of crosses
Popinjay
a parrot. If blazoned proper it is shown green with a red beak and feet
Port
the gateway to a castle
Portate
of a cross, in bend as if carried on the shoulder
Potent
of a cross with crutch-shaped ends (rather like a T-piece). See Crosses
Potenty
a dividing line said to be crutch-shaped. Also a form of the fur vair
Proboscis
elephant’s trunk
Proper, propre
shown in its natural colours, commonly used for trees etc.
Purfled or Purflewed
lined, guarded or bordered with fur; of armour = garnished with gold
Purpure
purple; uncommon; in very early heraldry it seems to have meant a dark red
Python
a winged serpent

Back to the Alphabet

  Q

Quatrefoil
similar to a cinquefoil, but with 4 leaves
Quilled
same as penned, of the shaft of a feather
Quise
= à la cuisse, i.e. cut off at the thigh

Back to the Alphabet

  R

Raguly
a dividing line, like asymmetric battlements
Rampant
of animals, esp. lions. Rearing up, with only one paw on the ground. A very common position, seen for instance in the arms of Scotland
Rapier
a narrow, stabbing sword
Rayonn
radiant, encircled with or formed of rays; also a dividing line in the form of rays
Rebated
broken off, cut short or recessed
Recerceln
of a cross; with the ends split and splaying outwards, rather more curved than moline
Reflected
reflexed or bent, curved and carried backwards
Reg(u)ardant
of animals, especially lions; looking backwards (usually shown conventionally in an impossible anatomical position!)
Removed
out of its proper position
Reremouse
a bat (animal)
Respectant, Respecting
of animals, looking at each other
Retorted
entwined fretwise (rare)
Rising or Rousant
of birds, about to take wing
Rod of Aesculapius
a serpent entwined about a rod (a healing emblem, still used by modern pharmacies)
Rompu
broken or interrrupted. Can be used as a dividing line (rare)
Rouelle
a (spur)-rowel or pierced mullet
Roundle
a circular charge, common; a sub-ordinary. Roundles were originally all called pellets, but now this name is reserved for black ones. Different coloured roundles have different names, viz:
orbezant
argentplate
azurehurt
gulestorteau
sablepellet, ogress or gunstone
vertpomme
purpuregolpe
tennorange
sanguineguze
Roundles can also be of fur. Note the special case of a roundle which is barry wavy argent and azure known as a fountain or syke, conventionally used to represent water
Rustre
a lozenge pierced with a round hole; a sub-ordinary

Back to the Alphabet

  S

Sabatons
round-toed armoured shoes
Sable
black
Salamander
a lizard-like animal always shown surrounded by flames
Salient
springing up (of animal); similar to rampant but with both front paws upwards and both hind paws on the ground
Saltire
a diagonal or St. Andrew’s cross
Saltorelle
small saltire
Sanglant
blood-stained
Sanglier
wild boar
Sanguine
a blood-red or crimson colour; uncommon
Sans nombre
of a charge; repeated many times (too many times to count)
Sarcell
cut through the middle
Scaling Ladder
a ladder with hooks at the top (for scaling walls in a siege)
Scarp or scarf
a bendlet sinister; same as escarp
Scintillant
sparkling or emitting sparks
Scocheon
escutcheon or small shield-shaped charge
Scrog
the branch of a tree
Scruttle
a winnowing fan
Sea Dog
a monster shown as a dog with fins, scales and webbed feet
Sea Horse, Sea Wolf, Sea Lion etc.
monsters incorporating the front part of the heraldic animal in question with a fish’s tail
Seax
a notched short sword or scimitar
Seeded
(of flowers) the central part of a rose etc., probably really the anthers
Segreant
same as rampant, used of griffins and dragons
Sema, Semy
scattered or strewn with (small charges), e.g. semé de lys if fleur de lys are scattered over the field. Also known as aspersed, poudr or powdered
Shakefork
a modified pall, a Y-shaped charge with the ends cut short
Sinister
the left side of the shield, but the right as viewed
Sinople
a French term for vert or green
Siren
a mermaid
Skain, skean or skane
a short sword or dagger
Slip
a twig bearing 2 or 3 leaves
Slipped
of leaf or flower, with the stalk which attached it to the parent stem
Slughorn
a slogan or Scottish battle-cry
Soaring
flying aloft
Spancelled
(of horse) with 1 fore- and 1 hind-leg secured by fetterlocks
Spear
specifically a tilting-spear as used in jousting
Spread Eagle
an eagle displayed (and a very common pub name/sign)
Springing
often used for deer etc.
Statant
standing, with all 4 feet on the gorund
Stock
the stump of a tree; also the shaft of an anchor
Subverted
reversed
Sun in his splendour
shown with rays all around, and frequently a face also, much like a child’s drawing of the sun
Sufflue
clarion, a musical instrument of curious form
Surgeant
of birds rising form the ground (rare)
Syke
same as fountain, a roundle barry wavy argent and azure

Back to the Alphabet

  T

Taill>
a French term for party per bend sinister
Talbot
a hunting dog
Talent
a bezant or gold roundle, a coin
Targe(t)
a round shield
Tau Cross
a T-shaped cross; also known as St. Anthony’s Cross
Tenant
a French term referring to human supporters “holding” the shield
Tenné or Tawny
an orange or tawny colour; very rare
Timbre
a crest or crested helm
Torqued
wreathed; the torque is the wreath of twisted silk between the shield and the crest
Torteau
a red roundle; derived from “cake”
Tranch
French for party per bend
Transfixed, Transpierced
pierced through, showing the field through the hole
Transmuted
counter-charged (rare)
Transposed
of original or natural arrangement
Traversed
facing sinister (rare)
Trefln-sem
adorned with trefoils
Trefoil
a 3-way leaf like a clover or shamrock leaf; usually shown slipped, i.e. with its stalk
Treille, Trellissed
same as latticed, but different from fretty. In a trellis the pieces do not interweave but are in 2 overlapping sets nailed together
Tressure
a sub-ordinary consisting of two parallel thin bands round the edge of the shield, cf. orle
Trippant, Tripping
of stags etc., walking, usually with one foreleg raised
Troncon
cut into pieces which then stand separately but retain their original arrangement
Trumpet
shown as a long, straight instrument, a kind of war trumpet
Truncheon
the official badge of the Earl Marshal – a golden rod, tipped with black enamel at both ends. One end bears the Royal Arms, the other the Earl Marshal’s
Trussed
with the wings closed
Trussing
of birds devouring prey [?]
Tyger
monster, lion-like in overall shape but with a long curving tusk
Tynes
the points of a stag’s antlers or attires

Back to the Alphabet

  U

Undy
a dividing line, same as wavy
Unicorn
The heraldic unicorn has a horse’s body, a single long horn, a lion’s tail, tufted hocks and cloven hoofs like a goat, and a beard
Urcheon, Urchin
a hedgehog
Urdy
a dividing line of pointed battlements
Uri(n)ant
diving, used of fishes swimming vertically with their heads down

Back to the Alphabet

  V

Vair
a form of fur, believed to be derived from squirrel pelts; a field can be vairy if it has the same pattern as vair but different colours
Vamplate
the guard for the hand on a tilting spear
Verd, Verdoy
semy of leaves or plants
Vert
green; uncommon
Verolles
rings encircling hunting horns; also spelled Verules and Virol(l)es
Verted
Flexed or reflexed; also Reverted
Vervels, Varvels
rings at the ends of a hawk’s jesses
Vested
clothed
Voided
the charge’s centre is wholly removed leaving only an outline; the field shows through the void
Voiders
same as flaunches (rare)
Vol
2 wings joined together, their tips upwards
Volant
flying
Vorant
devouring (prey)

Back to the Alphabet

  W

Water
usually represented by an heraldic fountain, which is a roundle barry wavy argent and azure
Wavy
a dividing line consisting of gentle waves or curves
Well
usually shown as a circular masonry structure in perspective
Woolpack
a fairly common charge, shown tied at each of the 4 corners
Wound
a purple roundle (rare)
Wyvern
a monster; a 2-legged dragon. If blazoned proper it is green with a red chest, belly and underwings

Back to the Alphabet

  Y

Yale
a monster; a bull with a lion’s face, 2 long horns, often spiral, and a short, tufted tail

Back to the Alphabet


Back to the Glossary Contents.

© Gill Smith 1997 – 2003

counter