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The vocabulary of coats of arms: ordinaries and charges, tinctures and furs, cadency marks and the conventions of blazon.
Here when the element belongs to the heraldic system and is described in its own language. A national emblem that uses heraldic elements is filed under national and civic, because its authority is the state rather than the grammar.
Historically documented, resting on armorials and the standard heraldic literature. Heraldry is one of the few areas where the naming convention is itself the subject.
All 109symbols in this domain, A–Z.
A ship's anchor with a ring, stock, shank and two flukes.
A plain ring, and the cadency mark of a fifth son.
A plain ring marking a fifth son.
The heraldic tincture silver or white, one of the two metals.
The heraldic tincture blue, one of the colours.
A narrow horizontal band, borne in multiples across a shield.
A circlet with six silver balls, four shown.
The lower portion of a heraldic shield, and a band occupying it.
A bear, frequently muzzled and collared in blazon.
A diagonal band running from the top left of a shield to the bottom right, as the bearer sees it.
A diagonal band running from the top right of a shield to the bottom left, as the bearer sees it.
A gold roundel, named for a coin.
A small upright rectangle borne as a charge.
A wild boar with prominent tusks and a bristled back.
A band following the whole edge of a shield, like a frame.
A small charge added to arms to distinguish one son from another.
A small square in the upper corner of a shield, usually the dexter side.
Two towers joined by an embattled wall with a gateway between them.
A circlet with rays each ending in a star.
A wreath of leaves with four flowers.
An inverted V-shaped band spanning a shield, like a rafter or a roof gable.
A broad horizontal band across the top of a shield, occupying roughly the upper third.
A charge of disputed identity, drawn as ranked pipes.
A beast lying down with its head raised.
A crescent moon with its horns pointing upward.
A crescent marking a second son.
A vertical and a horizontal band crossing at the centre of a shield, spanning it in both directions.
A cross each of whose arms is itself crossed near the end.
A cross whose arms end in fleurs-de-lis.
A cross whose arms split and curl outward at the ends, like a millrind.
A cross with forked ends marking an eighth son.
A cross whose arms widen outward and end in three flowing points each.
A cross with narrow arms that flare broadly at the ends.
A cross whose arms each end in a crossbar, forming T-shapes.
A circlet with raised ornaments, borne as a charge or worn by another charge.
A bird shown from the front with both wings spread open.
A stylised fish-like dolphin, drawn arched with a spiny crest.
A four-legged winged reptile with a barbed tail.
A circlet with strawberry leaves and no balls.
A stylised eagle, usually shown displayed with wings spread.
A circlet with balls raised on points above leaves.
A circlet with plain triangular points.
A white field scattered with small black tail-shaped marks.
A scallop shell, shown with its ribbed outer face toward the viewer.
A star of six wavy rays.
A horizontal band across the middle of a shield, about a third of its depth.
A pair of arcs cut in from the shield sides.
A stylised lily of three petals bound at the base, long used in French heraldry.
The stylised lily charge as used in blazon, and the cadency mark of a sixth son.
A stylised lily marking a sixth son.
A roundel barry wavy of blue and white.
A lozenge interlaced with two crossing diagonal bands.
A bound sheaf of wheat.
A creature with an eagle's head, wings and forelegs on a lion's body.
A beast with its head turned to face the viewer.
The heraldic tincture red, one of the colours.
A triangular wedge running to the shield centre.
A blue roundel.
A small shield borne on a shield.
A key with a ringed bow and a toothed bit, often borne in crossed pairs.
A narrow horizontal bar with short depending tags, marking an eldest son.
A stylised lion, the commonest beast in European heraldry.
A diamond-shaped charge standing on one of its points.
A cross of four arrowhead-shaped arms meeting at a point, with eight outer points.
A circlet alternating leaves and balls on the rim.
A small stylised bird drawn without feet.
A footless bird marking a fourth son.
A medieval sleeve with a long hanging cuff.
A star of five straight points, and the cadency mark of a third son.
A five-pointed star marking a third son.
An eight-leaved figure marking a ninth son.
The heraldic tincture gold, one of the two metals.
A narrow band inside and clear of the shield edge.
A vertical band down the centre of a shield, about a third of its width.
A circlet set with pointed stakes.
A Y-shaped band across a shield, formed of a half-pale and two half-bends.
A narrow vertical band, half the width of a pale.
A beast walking, with three paws on the ground and the right forepaw raised.
Gold ermine spots on a black field.
A black roundel.
A wedge or triangle issuing from the top of a shield and tapering to a point.
A latticed gate with spiked feet and chains at its upper corners.
Interlocking crutch shapes in alternating tinctures.
The heraldic tincture purple, one of the colours.
A named pattern on a jacket.
A beast reared on its hind legs with forelegs raised, shown in profile.
A stylised five-petalled rose shown from the front, with sepals between the petals.
A heraldic rose marking a seventh son.
A plain circular charge.
A lozenge pierced with a round hole.
The heraldic tincture black, one of the colours.
A beast sitting on its haunches, forelegs straight on the ground.
A snake, often borne coiled or knotted.
A device cut in reverse into a ring's face, to be read in its impression.
A male deer with branched antlers, borne in its own set of attitudes.
A beast standing still in profile, all four paws on the ground.
A sun with a human face, surrounded by alternating straight and wavy rays.
A straight double-edged sword, borne point upward by default.
A thistle head with spiny leaves, the plant badge of Scotland.
Colour written in lines.
A red roundel.
A single masonry tower with battlements and a door.
A narrow orle, usually drawn doubled.
A horse-like beast with a single spiral horn, cloven hooves and a lion's tail.
A pattern of interlocking blue and white bell shapes.
The heraldic tincture green, one of the colours.
A circlet with sixteen silver balls in a row.
A yoke with two hanging water skins.
A wolf, distinguished from a heraldic dog by its bushy tail and pointed ears.