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pale a band placed vertically in the middle of a shield

pall or paile an archiepiscopal vestment of white lamb's wool, formed in heraldry by half a pale issuing from the base meeting in the fess point half a saltire issuing from the dexter and sinister chief to form a letter Y

pallet a diminution of the pale

palisado a crown composed of palisade-shaped points

palisse a division of the field in the form of piles reaching from top to bottom, representing the palisades before a fortification

paly divided into an equal number of pieces of alternate colours by perpendicular partition lines; the number of divisions must be specified: paly of six, of eight, etc

paly-bendy pales cut by diagonal partition lines

palmer's staff (French bourdon) a pilgrim's staff

papilone a field divided into variegated specks like those on a butterfly, but ranged like the scales of a fish

park pales palings depicted close to each other, with pointed tops

pascuant or pasquant used of animals when grazing

Paschal or Holy Lamb a lamb passant arg. carrying the banner of St George

passant used of an animal in a walking position

passant guardant used of an animal walking with its head full-face

Passion Cross (see Calvary Cross)

Passant reguardant walking but looking back

passant repassant used when animals are shown walking past each other in opposite directions

Pater Noster or Nostré a cross composed of beads

patoncé of a cross whose bars splay outwards in curved fashion

pa(t)té (from French patte, paw) splayed towards the end, as a paw is

pattes paws

pavement depicted like masonry

pavilion an oblong tent with a projecting entrance

pean a fur with gold spots on a black ground

peel a tool used for drawing bread from the oven

pegasus a horse with wings

pelican always shown pecking her breast so that it bleeds; when feeding her young in this manner she is said to be 'in her piety'

pellet or ogress a black roundle

pelletty or pellettée semée of pellets

penner and ink horn a case for holding pens and ink

pennon a pointed or swallow-tailed flag

permoncelor a small streamer or flag pencil

penny-yard a small coin

per used to show how a shield, ordinary or charge is divided by any of the partition lines, as per bend, per pale etc

petronel a pistol

pheon the head of a dart or arrow

pierced used when an ordinary or charge is perforated; the shape should be specified - square, round etc

piety (see pelican)

pile a wedge issuing from the chief and tapering towards the base

pilgrim's scrip a wallet or pouch

plate a silver or white roundle

playing tables backgammon tables

plenitude a full moon

plié used of a bird when its wings are folded

ployé bowed and bent

plummet a plumb line

poing a closed hand

pomme a green roundle (plural pomels)

popinjay a small green parrot with red beak and legs

portant used of a cross that is not erect but placed across the shield as if being carried on the shoulder pose (see statant)

pot a steel hat

potent a crutch; also a fur composed of crutch- or T-shaped divisions

potenté a line of division formed by crutch-shaped figures

pouldron armour for the shoulder

pounce the talons of a bird of prey powdered (see semée)

pride (see in pride)

proper/ppr. used of objects when shown in their natural colours

purflew trimmed or garnished used of the studs and rims of armour when they are a different colour from the armour itself

purflew or purfled used of a border of fur shaped like vair; when of one row it is termed 

purflewed when of two, counter-purflewed

purpure purple

python a winged serpent

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