bend sinister

noun

, Heraldry.

1. a diagonal band extending from the sinister chief of an escutcheon to the dexter base: a supposed mark of bastardy.

bend sinister

noun

1. heraldry a diagonal line bisecting a shield from the top right to the bottom left, typically indicating a bastard line

Word History and Origins

Origin of bend sinister¹

First recorded in 1615–25

Example Sentences

His proud crest and armorial bearings support him: no bend-sinister slurs his poetical escutcheon!

From Project Gutenberg

The bend sinister (Fig. 82), is very frequently stated to be the mark of illegitimacy.

From Project Gutenberg

Crest: a cornucopia fesswise, surmounted by a dexter hand couped proper, holding a key in bend sinister or.

From Project Gutenberg

Such a coat would be "per bend sinister ermine and erminois, a lion rampant counterchanged."

From Project Gutenberg

The "barre sinistre" is merely the French translation of bend sinister, the French word "barre" meaning a bend.

From Project Gutenberg