Glossary of Heraldic Terms

Glossary of heraldic terms used to describe badges.

accolee: side by side - especially of two shields

addorsed: back to back

affrontee: a beast or object placed so as to show its lull front to the viewer

annulet: a ring

appaume: of an open hand or gauntlet when showing the palm

argent: silver

anned: concerning claws, horns, talons, and teeth of birds, beasts and monsters

arms: strictly speaking applies only to the charges, the design borne on a shield; often freely used when referring to the complete armorial achievement

attired: bearing antlers

attires: antlers of a stag

augmentation: an honourable addition to the armorial insignia

azure: blue

bar: a narrow horizontal ordinary narrower than a fess

barbed: having the leaf-like sepals which appear between the petals of the
heraldic rose

barrulet: a narrow bar

barry: division of the field into an even number of horizontal pieces

barwise: of charges placed horizontally and one above the other

bend: an ordinary formed by two diagonal lines from dexter chief to sinister base

bend sinister, in: following the line of a bend ( running from sinister chief to dexter base).

bendlet: the diminutive of the bend

bezant: a gold roundlet (circular object) supposed to have been derived from Byzantine coins

caboshed: of an animal's head affrontee, cut off and showing no part of the neck

canton: a rectangle in dexter chief less than a quarter of the shield

cartouche: an oval shape having the long axis palewise

charge: any object or figure placed on an heraldic shield or comprising part of an armorial composition

chevron: an heraldic ordinary, an inverted V, one third of the width of the shield

chevronel: term for two or more chevrons borne on a shield

chief: an ordinary formed by a horizontal line so as to contain the uppermost part of the shield

cotises: the second diminutive of the bend, and a quarter the width of the shield

couped: cut, cut short evenly

courant: running

crescent: a charge in the form of a stylized crescent moon

cresset: a beacon

crined: describing the colour of hair or mane

cross patee: having the limbs splayed and with straight ends

debruised: see surmounted

defamed: a beast deprived of a tail

demi halved: (the upper or front half)

dexter: the right-hand side of shield from the point of view of the person behind it, and so the left-hand side to the viewer

difference: to add to or vary pre-existing arms so as to achieve

distinctiveness: for one reason or another

displayed: with wings extended

ducal coronet: a coronet of four strawberry leaves (three visible)

elevated: raised, of wings of birds.etc

embowed: bent, curved as a bow

enfiled: encircled

engrailed: of ornamental line dividing a shield into parts or outlining a figure on a shield, comprising repeated semi-circles with points outwards

ensigned: having insignia (i.e. a crown or coronet) placed above it

eradicated: of a tree or plant having been pulled by force from the ground

erased: torn off and leaving a ragged edge

ermine: fur with black tails on white

escutcheon: shield

extended: stretched out

fess: an ordinary comprising a broad band placed horizontally across a shield and occupying about one third of the total area.

fesswise: horizontal

field: the background or surface of a shield and the like upon which the armorial design is shown

fillet: a diminutive of the chief - a narrow bend, one quarter of the chief in depth

fimbriated: a narrow border usually on a cross

flanches: space enclosed by an arc - one on each side dividing the shield into three parts

fusil: a diamond-shaped figure narrow in its minor axis representing a spindle

galley: an ancient ship for both sailing and rowing, shown with one mast unless otherwise blazoned

garb: a sheaf of cereal or grain

gorged: encircled round the throat or neck

gorged, ducally: the throat or neck encircled by a ducal coronet

goutte de larmes: drops of tears

griffin: an heraldic monster comprising head, breast, wings and forelegs like those of an eagle with the hindquarters and tail of as lion. Also segreant

guardant: of a beast with its head turned so as to face the viewer

gules: red

hauriant: of a fish, placed vertically with head upwards

helm: protective metal armour for head and neck to the crown of which the crest is secured

invected: complementary to engrailed, being the same line of semi-circlesconjoined but applied in opposition

issuant: proceeding out or from

langued: concerning the colour of the tongue of a creature

lozenge: a diamond-shaped figure

lymphad: see galley

martlet: an heraldic swallow-bird represented as having feather tufts at the end of its legs but no feet

mullet: five-pointed star

mural crown: a crown in the form of an embattled wall

naval crown: a circlet upon which are mounted alternately the stems and sails of ships or gold

ordinary: one of the earliest forms of heraldic device; geometric shapes such as the chevron, chief, pale, fess, bend, plain cross throughout, etc

orle: a border in the same form as the shield pale an ordinary formed by two vertical lines containing the central part of the shield

pale: in of a number of objects as occupying the position of a pale, as in the arms of England

pall: a figure resembling the letter y

paly: a design comprising an equal number of vertical stripes or pallets coloured alternately

party: field is divided

passant: walking, of a beast

Pegasus: a winged horse

pheon: barbed head of an arrow engrailed on the inner side of the barbs

pierced: with a round hole in the center showing the field or some other tincture

pile: a wedge shaped figure which issues from the chief

plate: a silver roundel

proper: in natural or normal colours

purpure: purple

rampant: of a beast, with one hind paw on the ground, and the other three raised, the tail erect with the beast looking to its front

reguardant: of a charge, with the head turned so as to look backwards over the shoulder

roundel: a flat, circular object

sable: black

salient: attacking and leaping upon

saltire: a diagonal cross in the form of an x

saltire, per: following the line of a saltire

seeded: specifically for an heraldic rose but also applicable to other flowers when the central disc differs in colour from the flower itself

sejant: seated

seme: strewn with any charge

seme-de-lis: strewn with fleurs-de-lis

sinister: left side of shield from the point of view of the person behind it, and so the right side of the viewer

slipped: of a flower, leaf or twig when it has the stem by which it was attached to the parent stem or plant

statant: of a beast, standing having all four paws on the ground and facing to the dexter unless otherwise stated

surmounted: of a charge, having another charge placed over it (also de bruised)

tinctures: the two metals (or and argent), seven colours (azure, gules, sable, vert, purpure, tenne [orange], murrey or sanguine [ reddish purple]), and two furs of the ennine and vair patterns

torleau: a roundel

trefoil: a stylized leaf with three lobes, usually slipped

tressure: a narrow band inset from the edge of the shield, usually double

undy: wavy

unguled: of an animal having hoofs

unicorn: heraldic creature with the head and body of a horse, one long horn projecting from the forehead, cloven hoofs, a lion's tail, tufted hocks and a beard

vair: an heraldic fur which represents the belly and back skins of the grey squirrel

vambraced: an arm in plate armour, hand gauntleted and usually clenched

vert: green

volant: flying

wavy: undulating, of a line dividing a shield into parts or outlining a figure
placed on a shield

wyvern: a fictitious beast with a dog-like head, a horn on the snout, a birdlike
neck, and scales instead of feathers on the breast, a snake-like tail,
curling, tenninating in a barb, with legs of an eagle, a pair of monstrous wings
and a protruding, barbed tongue. It is symbolic of malice.

Reference: Badges Of The Canadian Navy by Arbuckle, J. Graeme. Halifax: Nimbus Publishing, 1987.