The Grammar of Heraldry
by John Edwin Cussans
Miscellaneous Descriptive Terms
266368The Grammar of Heraldry — Miscellaneous Descriptive TermsJohn Edwin Cussans

miscellaneous descriptive terms.

In addition to those descriptive terms already mentioned, the following are occasionally made use of:—

Adumbrated.—Shaded, or under shadow.
Baillonnée—A lion rampant, holding in its mouth a staff.
Banded.—When anything, such as a garb or a sheaf of arrows, is bound together with a band of a different tincture, it is described as banded of that tincture.
Braced.—Interlaced.

Bristled.—The tincture of the bristles on the back and neck of a boar.
Cabossed, or Caboshed.—When the head of an animal is affrontée, and cut off so close that no portion of the neck is visible.
Catoed.—A cross between four charges. Fig. 123.
Caparisoned.—Used when speaking of the caparisons or trappings of a horse.
Close-girt.—Signifyng that the clothes of a figure are bound tight about the waist.
Collared.—Having a collar around the neck.
Corded.—Bound with a cord.
Counter-passant.—When two animals are walking, one towards the dexter, and the other towards the sinister, they are thus described.
Dismembered.—Signifying that an ordinary or animal is cut into small pieces, which, though separate from each other, are placed sufficiently near to preserve the original shape of the charge. A lion rampant dismembered is borne by the Maitland family.
Distilling.—Dropping; as a breast distilling milk; borne as a charge by the family of Dodge.
Embrued.—When a weapon is bloody, it is described as embrued. The same term is applied to the mouths of lions, &c., when dropping blood, whilst or after devouring their prey.
Enhanced.—Any ordinary removed above its proper situation. The Byrons bear, Arg.; three bendlets enhanced gu.
Ensigned.—Ornamented, or garnished.
Enveloped.—Entwined.
Fimbriated.—Having a narrow border of another tincture (see Fig. 196).
Flexed.—Bent.

Gorged.—When an animal has a crown encircling the neck it is thus blazoned. The badge of the De Bohuns was, a black swan ducally gorged and chained.
Guarded.—Trimmed, or turned up; commonly applied to a mantle or chapeau.
Issuant.—Rising from. This term is also used when a charge (usually a demi-lion) is issuing from the bottom of a chief. When the charge is from the centre of an ordinary, usually a fess, it is described as Naissant.
Lined.—Attached by a line, usually affixed to the collar of an animal (see crest of Baldwin in Appendix). The term is also applied to the lining of a mantle, chapeau, &c., when borne of a different tincture.
Maned.—Horses, lions, &c., are maned of the hair on their necks: they are also sometimes described as crined of the same.
Masoned.—As though built with stone, like a castle. Fig. 148.
Naissat.—Issuing from the centre of an ordinary, or charge. The subjoined example (Fig. 173) would be blazoned, Ermine; naissant from a fess az., a demi-lion or.
Rebated.—When the head of a weapon, &c., is broken, or cut off.
Renversée, or Reversed.—Turned contrary to the usual way.
Salient.—See Springing.
Segreant.—Rampant. This term is used in blazoning a griffin standing on its hind legs, with wings displayed.
Springing.—Used only when speaking of stags, and beasts of the chase. Beasts of prey, when springing, are blazoned as salient.
Stringed.—Applied in specifying the tincture of the string wherewith a bugle-horn is suspended, or of the strings of a harp. The arms of Ireland are, Az.; a harp or, stringed arg.
Treflée.—Bordered with trefoils, as is the bend borne by the Prince of Wales for Saxony.