COATS-OF-ARMS-HERALDRY.COM
All about heraldry
All about heraldry
Shopping basket
HERALDRY GLOSSARY
LETTER B
Custom Search
Bachelor. An Esquire in probationary stage of knighthood
Badge. A device borne on the sleeves of servitors, and backs and breasts of soldiers. Not strictly Heraldic
Baillonne. A lion rampant, when holding a baton in his mouth.
Ball. A spherical roundel
Banded. A garb (wheatsheaf) or sheaf of arrows, when tied with a different tincture to charge, is so called
Bar. A diminutive of the fess, containing one-fifth of the field. See Plate VIII
Barbed. The five petals that appear outside a heraldic rose
Bar Gemel. Twin bars, placed near and parallel to each other.
Bar-ways, or Bar-wise. Placed horizontally on shield
Barbed Arrow. A arrow having a pointed and jagged head
Baron. The lowest rank in the British peerage. See Plate XVII
Baronet. A hereditary rank lower than the peerage, but taking precedence of all Knights, excepting those of the Garter. The mark of distinction is the badge of Ulster, borne on a small inescutcheon. Arg. a sinister hand, coupled at the wrist, and appaume gules. See Plate XX
Barrulet. A diminutive of the bar, containing one twentieth of the field. See Plate VIII
Barry. When a shield is equally divided in alternate horizontal bands of metal and color. The field of the National Ensign of the United States is barry of thirteen, gules and argent (red and white). Strictly, the number of each tincture should be even. See Plate VI
Barry bendy. When a shield is equally divided in alternate bands of metal and color, from dexter chief to sinister base. See Plate VI
Barry indented. A field of triangles of aliernate tinctures. See Plate XX
Barry pily. When the division is made by piles, bar-wise. See Plate XX
Base. The lower part of the shield. See Plate I (G.H.I.)
Basilisk. A chimerical animal with two heads
Basinet, or Basnet. A plain steel helmet
Baton, Batton, or Baston. A staff borne as a mark of illegitimacy. One fourth the width of the bend sinister, but not reaching extremities of shield. The Duke of Grafton, as the natural son of Charles II, carried the Royal arms of England, charged with a baton, as do his descendants. See Plate XX
Beaked. When the beaks of birds (not those of prey) are ot a different tincture to their bodies
Bearing. Any single charge in a coat of arms. When used in the plural, the entire coat
Beaver, or Visor. The part of a helmet that opens in front
Belled. Having bells affixed to some part
Bend. One of the ordinaries, occupying one-third of the field, when charged ; otherwise, one-fifth. Formed of two diagonal lines, from dexter chief to sinister base. See Plate VII. In Bend ; when charges are placed in line, from dexter chief to sinister base. See Plate VII. Per Bend; when the field, or charge, is equally divided, from the dexter chief to the sinister base. See Plate IV. Sinister ; see Sinister Bendlet. Diminutive of Bend, of which it is half the width. See Plate VII
Bendy. Divided into an even number of bends. See Plate VI
Besant. A plain gold roundel. See Plate XIII
Besantee. When the field is strewed with besants
Bicapitated. Having two heads
Bicorporated. Having two bodies
Billet. A sub-ordinary. When exceeding ten in number, the field is billette. See Plate IX
Biparted. When so torn ofFas to show two projections. Different from Erased, which shows three
Black. See Sable
Bladed. When the stalk, or blade of corn, is of a different color to the ear
Blue. See Azure
Boltant. Springing forward. Applied to hares and rabbits
Border, or Bordure. A sub-ordinary, occupying one-fifth ot the field, and running entirely round the shield. The Chief, Quarter and Canton, are placed over the border. See Plate IX
Bouget, or Water Bouget. A vessel used by the Crusaders for carrying water. See Plate XV
Bristled. The hair on neck and back of a boar
Buckler. In old armor, a shield worn on left arm
Bugle, or Hurtling horn. Blazoned with a band round the horn, and generally with strings
Burgonet. A steel cap formerly worn by foot soldiers