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

badge decorative device identifying a family, often borne by retainers, e.g., on livery. It is not strictly speaking part of a heraldic achievement and is therefore not included in the illustrations of arms in this book. Indeed it is only included in this glossary at all because of popular misapprehension as to its status. (For a similar misapprehension see also crest)

baillond used of a lion holding a staff in its mouth

banded encircled with a band or riband

bar a horizontal division occupying one fifth of the shield

barbed (from the French word borbe) the leaves surrounding a full blown rose are called barbs, hence the phrase 'a rose gu. barbed etc'

barnacles instruments used by farriers to curb horses

baron and femme, per the impalement of the arms of husband and wife

bars gemel two bars or barrulets placed parallel to each other, 'gemel' deriving from the Italian gemelli, twins

barrulet dinminutive of bar

barry/barruly used of a field or charge divided by horizontal lines

base the lower part of a shield

basilisk a monster, like a wyvern or cockatrice but with a dragon's head at the end of its tail

basnet/basinet a helmet

baton (from the French baston, a staff or cudgel) a shape like a truncheon, generally a mark of bastardy. Unlike a bend it is couped, or cut short of the shield's edges

battled arrondie denotes that a battlement is rounded at the top

battled-imbattled one battlement on another

beaked (see armed)

bearing applicable to any single charge or heraldic device

beaver (see visor)

bend a division of a shield formed by two diagonal lines from the dexter chief to the sinister base

bendlet half-size diminutive of bend

bend sinister a bend issuing from the sinister chief

bendy used of a field or charge divided diagonally into four or more even-numbered parts

bezant a Byzantine gold coin, represented as around flat piece of gold without impress

bezanté semée of bezants

billets rectangles

billeté semée of billets

bird-bolt a small blunt-headed arrow

blazon rules under which coats of arms are drawn up; also, as a verb, to describe a coat of arms in correct heraldic language

bordure a uniform edge to a shield, occupying one fifth of the field

botonnée used of a cross whose tips resemble trefoils

bouget (see water-bouget)

bowed embowed or arched braced (see interlaced)

breys (see barnacles)

brimsey a gad-fly

brassarts/brassets armour for the elbows and arms

burgonet a steel cap worn in battle

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