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A vertical and a horizontal band crossing at the centre of a shield, spanning it in both directions.
Also known as: Plain cross, Greek cross
The plain heraldic cross: a pale and a fess combined, reaching the edges of the shield. Distinct from the many named cross variants, and distinct again from the Latin cross as a religious symbol — the heraldic ordinary spans the field and is a charge, not a devotional object.
A vertical and horizontal band crossing at the fess point and reaching the edges of the shield, blazoned simply as 'a cross'.
Heraldry distinguishes dozens of named cross variants by the treatment of their arm-ends, and a blazon that says only 'a cross' means the plain form. The variants are separate charges, not decorations of one.
A vertical and a horizontal band crossing at the centre of a shield and reaching its edges.
Both are crosses, but the heraldic ordinary has equal arms spanning a shield while the Latin cross has a longer lower limb and a devotional use.