heraldry

American  

[her-uhl-dree] / ˈhɛr əl dri /

noun

• heraldries
  plural

1. the science of armorial bearings.

2. the art of blazoning armorial bearings, of settling the rights of persons to bear arms or to use certain bearings, of tracing and recording genealogies, of recording honors, and of deciding questions of precedence.

3. the office or duty of a herald.

4. a heraldic device, or a collection of such devices.

5. a coat of arms; armorial bearings.

6. heraldic symbolism.

7. heraldic pomp or ceremony.

   The coronation was marked by all the magnificence of heraldry.

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heraldry British  

/ ˈhɛrəldrɪ /

noun

1. the occupation or study concerned with the classification of armorial bearings, the allocation of rights to bear arms, the tracing of genealogies, etc

2. the duties and pursuit of a herald

3. armorial bearings, insignia, devices, etc

4. heraldic symbols or symbolism

5. the show and ceremony of heraldry

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• heraldist
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• heraldries
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of heraldry

1350–1400; Middle English. See herald, -ry

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Explanation

Heraldry is the study of designs on coats of arms — the official symbols or emblems of royal and noble families — which have appeared on flags and shields throughout history. Heraldry is the art of designing emblems that are meant to represent families, states, or organizations, as well as the study of the significance behind the designs, including family genealogies. The original function of heraldry was to distinguish troops from each other, making it clear who soldiers were fighting with and against. The ancient root of the word heraldry means "war."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

heraldry heraldries

The B-52s are heading to the UK in June, as part of their ever-extending farewell tour, and Pierson is using the trip as an excuse to indulge her fascination with British heraldry.

From BBC ● Mar. 17, 2026

As the remaining spellers dwindled, Shradha was given “orle,” a heraldry term that means several small charges arranged to form a border within the edge of a field.

From Seattle Times ● May 28, 2024

On an adjacent wall are the flags of all 54 countries in Africa, their insignia and heraldry explained.

From New York Times ● Jun. 29, 2023

One day last week, Conner, the museum’s curator of uniforms and heraldry, unboxed the crosses and other artifacts in the museum’s support center in the old brig on the Marine base here.

From Washington Post ● Sep. 18, 2021

His steel was a deep cobalt, even the blunt momingstar he wielded with such deadly effect, his mount barded in the quartered sun-and-moon heraldry of House Tarth.

From "A Clash of Kings" by George R.R. Martin

The feelings excited by a landscape such as this bore a subtle resemblance to those produced in myself by the heraldries which thronged the church.

From Memoirs of Life and Literature by W. H. (William Hurrell) Mallock

Each empty, open casque now seems Like to the helms of heraldries, Save for two strange and livid gleams That issue forth in threatening wise.

From Enamels and Cameos and other Poems by Agnes Lee

Above all, and out of his own private purse, he supported the heraldries of his dominions—the peerage, senatorial or prætorian, and the great gentry or chivalry of the Equites.

From The Caesars by Thomas De Quincey

At the heart of that huge whirlwind of his, with its dusty heraldries, and phantasmal nomenclatures now become mendacious, there lay, at first, always an earnest human fact.

From History of Friedrich II of Prussia — Volume 02 by Thomas Carlyle

The passage continues with "there" and "thither" repeated eight times; it bristles with contrasts, graces and horrors, antithesis, climax, and sonorous heraldries.

From Studies in Early Victorian Literature by Frederic Harrison

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