A
- Achievement: A complete coat of arms, including shield, helmet, crest, mantling, and motto.
- Addorsed: Two figures, animals, or objects placed back-to-back.
- Affronté: Facing forward, usually referring to animals or figures.
- Aislé: Winged, usually referring to a bird or other creature with wings displayed prominently.
- Argent: Silver or white, one of the heraldic metals.
- Azure: Blue, one of the main heraldic tinctures.
B
- Bar: A horizontal band across the shield, usually thinner than a fess.
- Barry: The shield is divided into several horizontal stripes of alternating tinctures.
- Barbed: Describes the pointed petals of a rose.
- Bend: A diagonal band running from the top left (dexter chief) to bottom right (sinister base) of the shield.
- Bend Sinister: A diagonal band running from the top right to bottom left of the shield
- Blazon: The formal description of a coat of arms, written in heraldic language.
- Bordure: A border around the edge of the shield.
C
- Canton: A square or rectangle in the top corner of the shield.
- Carbuncle: A stylized eight-armed figure radiating from a central point, resembling spokes of a wheel or a starburst, and frequently terminating in a fleur-de-lis.
- Charge: Any figure or symbol placed on the shield.
- Chequy: A pattern made up of squares of alternating colors.
- Chevron: An inverted “V”-shaped band or charge, often resembling the roof of a house.
- Chevronel: A diminutive of the chevron, a smaller and thinner chevron.
- Chief: The top section of the shield.
- Chief Indented: The top section of the shield (chief) has a line that forms a zigzag pattern.
- Couchant: An animal lying down with its head raised.
- Crest: A figure or device placed above the helmet in a coat of arms.
- Cross: A common heraldic charge in the form of a cross. Different styles of crosses are used, such as cross pattee or cross moline.
- Crozier:
D
- Dancetty: A zigzag line with deep notches, often used as a border.
- Debruised: A charge that is overlaid with another charge.
- Dexter: The right side of the shield from the perspective of the bearer, i.e., the left side from the viewer’s perspective.
- Demi-: Half, as in demi-lion, meaning half of a lion, typically the upper half.
- Dormant: An animal depicted lying down, as if asleep.
E
- Embattled: A line or border shaped like the battlements of a castle.
- Embowed: Bent or curved, usually referring to limbs, wings, or fish.
- Ermine: A fur represented by white with black spots, symbolizing nobility.
- Escarbuncle: see Carbuncle
- Escutcheon: The shield in a coat of arms.
- Estoile: A star with wavy rays, as opposed to a mullet, which has straight rays.
F
- Fess: A horizontal band running across the center of the shield.
- Fleur-de-lis: A stylized lily, often used in Premonstratensian heraldry.
- Field: The background color of the shield.
- Fimbriation: A thin border around a charge.
- Fusil: A narrow, elongated diamond shape, commonly used as a charge.
G
- Guardant:
- Gules: Red, one of the main heraldic colors (tinctures).
- Gyron: A triangular section of the shield, originating from one of the edges and extending toward the center.
- Gyronny: A field divided into triangular sections, typically eight, alternating in color.
H
- Hatching:
- Helm: The helmet in a coat of arms, placed above the shield.
- Herald: An officer of arms responsible for devising and granting coats of arms.
- Hilted: Describes the handle of a sword or dagger when it is of a different tincture from the blade.
- Hurt: Roundel (circular charge) of blue.
I
- Incensed: Depicts a creature, often a lion or dragon, with flames issuing from its mouth and eyes, indicating fury or anger.
- Indented: A zigzag line.
- Inescutcheon: A smaller shield placed within the main shield.
- Issuant: A charge (usually an animal or figure) emerging from a division line or from another charge, such as from the base or from the top of a fess.
L
- Lambrequin (or Mantling): Drapery tied to the helmet, often depicted as flowing down the sides of the shield.
- Lion Rampant: A lion standing on one hind leg, with forepaws raised as if climbing or attacking.
M
- Marshalling: The combination of multiple crests on a single escutcheon, often used to represent multiple roles, alliances, marriages, or inheritance.
- Millrind: A charge resembling the iron supports of a millstone, symbolizing industry and strength.
- Mitre: A ceremonial head-dress worn by bishops, sometimes used as a charge in ecclesiastical arms.
- Mobile Charge:
- Motto: A phrase or saying, often displayed below the coat of arms.
- Mullet: A star-shaped charge, usually with five points, though it can have more.
N
- Naissant: A figure or animal depicted as issuing from a point, such as from a fess or from the ground.
- Nebuly: A line that resembles clouds or rolling waves, used as a division or border.
O
- Or: Gold or yellow, one of the heraldic metals.
- Orle: A narrow border within the edge of the shield, similar to an inner bordure, but detached from the edge.
- Ordinary: A basic geometrical shape used as a primary charge on a shield (e.g., fess, pale, bend).
P
- Pale: A vertical band running down the center of the shield.
- Pallet: A diminutive of a pale, thinner and narrower than the pale itself.
- Party per: Divided into two or more parts, typically referring to the division of the shield.
- Passant: An animal walking with one forepaw raised.
- Patonce: A cross with splayed ends, broader than a cross fleury but with similar design.
- Pily: A pattern of spikes or points, like a series of arrowheads.
- Purgeon: A minor charge or symbol used in heraldic design.
Q
- Quarter: One of the four sections of the shield when it is divided, usually indicating alliances or family connections.
- Queue Fourchee: A double-tailed lion or other creature.
R
- Reguardant: An animal depicted looking backward over its shoulder.Roundel: A circular charge; there are different types of roundels depending on their color, such as torteaux (red), bezant (gold), and plate (silver).
- Rising: A bird or winged creature depicted preparing to take flight, with wings raised.
- Rustre: A lozenge-shaped charge with a circular hole in the middle, representing ironwork.
S
- Sable: Black, one of the main heraldic colors.
- Saltire: A diagonal cross, like the shape of the letter “X”.
- Scallop: A stylized scallop shell, often used in pilgrim symbolism or to indicate a pilgrimage.
- Sejant: An animal sitting upright on its haunches.
- Semé: A field or charge covered with many small objects, such as fleurs-de-lis or crosses, spaced evenly across the surface.
- Sinister: The left side of the shield from the bearer’s perspective, or the right side from the viewer’s perspective.
- Sun in Splendor: A sun depicted with a face and rays, often used as a charge.
- Supporters: Figures or animals placed on either side of the shield, often holding it up.
T
- Tincture: The color, metal, or fur used in heraldry (e.g., gules, argent, azure).
- Torso: A wreath of twisted fabric above the helmet, often used to mount the crest.
- Tressure: A thin border, usually doubled (a double tressure), often adorned with fleurs-de-lis. Famous in the royal arms of Scotland.
- Trippant: An animal depicted walking, with one front paw raised, as opposed to passant which is more common for lions.
U
- Urdée: Describes a cross with pointed or split ends.
V
- Vair: A fur pattern made up of alternating blue and white bell shapes.
- Vert: Green, one of the main heraldic colors.
- Voided: A charge that is hollowed out, showing the field through the center.
W
- Wavy: A line with a wavy shape, representing water, often used as a division line or border.