GLOSSARY OF HERALDIC TERMS.
Argent—silver, represented in engraving by plain surface.
Atchievement or achievement—a complete heraldic composition.
Azure—blue, represented in engraving by horizontal lines.
Barways or barwise—horizontally.
Barry—divided into bars.
Bearing—a charge on a coat of arms.
Blazonment or blazon—a correct heraldic description.
Canton—a part of the chief cut off on the left or right hand corner.
Charged—bearing a charge or figure upon the escutcheon.
Chevrons—bars, as the rafters of a roof, leaning against one another.
Chief—upper part of escutcheon.
Counter flory—flowers divided and separated by the whole width of the bearing.
Coupé—cut off evenly.
Crest—the part of the achievement outside of and above the escutcheon.
Damasked—decorated with an ornamental pattern.
Dignity, cap of dignity—a symbol of dignity.
Displayed—with expanded wings.
Emblazon. See Blazon.
Ensigned—distinguished by mark or ornament.
Entoire—charged with bearings not living creatures.
Ermine—fur represented by black spots on a white ground. Escutcheon—the shield.
Exergue—the part of the reverse of a medal below the main device.
Fess-point—the central point of the escutcheon.
Flory or fleury—decorated with fleur-de-lis.
Gules—red, represented in engraving by close vertical lines.
Or—gold or yellow, represented in engraving by dots on a white ground.
Ordinary—a common bearing bounded by straight lines.
Pale—a perpendicular stripe on the escutcheon.
Paleways, palewise, or paly—divided into equal parts by perpendicular lines.
Parti (party)—divided into parts.
Proper—of natural color or colors.
Quarters—the various smaller escutcheons within the larger escutcheon.
Sable—black, represented in engraving by a network of vertical and perpendicular lines.
Saltier—in the shape of a St. Andrew’s cross.
Sanguinated—blood stained, or blood color.
Scutcheon—escutcheon.
Semé—covered with small bearings.
Tenants—supporters.
Tinctures—the metals or colors.
Tressure—a double border within the escutcheon, and not reaching the edge.
Vert—green, represented in engraving by diagonal lines.