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The art and science of devising, displaying, and granting armorial insignia and of tracing and recording genealogies is called heraldry. The use of heraldic symbols, or “coats of arms,” as a means of identification spread through European nobility in the 13th century. The main way to display the heraldic devices is on a shield. The crest, a secondary device that emerged in the 14th century, was modeled onto the helm (helmet). Pictorial representations show the shield with the helm and crest above. “Arms” are protected by law in European monarchies and are hereditary; all male descendants of the first person to whom they were granted bear the arms.
Examples of heraldry in a Sentence
Nathan Heller, Vogue, 8 Aug. 2024
If there were a coat of arms for human nature, one element of the heraldry would be a hand reaching for a little something to take the edge off—better living through chemistry.
—Martha McPhee, Vogue, 24 July 2024
By the Middle Ages, griffins were common figures in medieval iconography and in heraldry.
—Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 25 June 2024
Wartime folklore—militaristic songs, clips, performances, and military heraldry—also bears religious symbols and apocalyptic motives, further eroding the nuclear taboo.
—Dmitry Adamsky, Foreign Affairs, 19 May 2023
Confederate Marylanders flew the white-and-red Crossland flag, believed to be the heraldry of the Crossland family, from which George Calvert’s mother descended.
—Gillian Brockell, Washington Post, 10 Sep. 2023
All of this stuff — the colors, the design, the symbolism — is from the world of heraldry.
—John Kelly, Washington Post, 22 July 2023
On an adjacent wall are the flags of all 54 countries in Africa, their insignia and heraldry explained.
—Seph Rodney, New York Times, 29 June 2023
Clinkerdagger featured heavy dark wood furniture, English heraldry on the walls, exposed beams, wood panels and other assorted furnishings similar to a low-budget period movie light on historical accuracy.
—David Reamer | Alaska History, Anchorage Daily News, 30 Apr. 2023
Dictionary Entries Near heraldry
Cite this Entry
“Heraldry.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heraldry. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.
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heraldry
noun
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