orle

American  

[awrl] / ɔrl /

noun

1. Heraldry.

   1. a charge in the form of a narrow band following the form of the escutcheon within the edge, so that the extreme outer edge of the escutcheon is of the field tincture.

   2. an arrangement in orle of small charges.

      azure, an orle of bezants.

2. Armor. a thick roll of cloth or leather on a helmet forming a base for an ornamental crest.

3. Also called orlo.  Also called orlet.  Architecture.

   1. a border, as one formed by a fillet.

   2. a fillet at the upper end of the shaft of a column.

   3. a fillet between two flutes of a column.

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orle British  

/ ɔːl /

noun

1. heraldry a border around a shield

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Etymology

Origin of orle

1565–75; < Middle French: border, edge < Vulgar Latin *ōrulus, diminutive of Latin ōra border

Example Sentences

They chose a big orle, so big that the strongest field hands bent their backs under its weight.

From "Harriet Tubman: Conductor on the Underground Railroad" by Ann Petry

An orle is a perforated inescutcheon, and usually takes the shape of the shield whereon it is placed.

From The Manual of Heraldry; Fifth Edition Being a Concise Description of the Several Terms Used, and Containing a Dictionary of Every Designation in the Science by Anonymous

The Tressure or flowered tressure is a figure which is correctly described by Woodward’s incorrect description of the orle as cited above, being a narrow inner border of the shield.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 13, Slice 3 "Helmont, Jean" to "Hernosand" by Various

Animals or flowers disposed round the escocheon in the same form, are also termed an orle.

From The Curiosities of Heraldry by Lower, Mark Antony

Sir R. de Royinge—Arg., three bars and an orle of martlets gu.

From The Handbook to English Heraldry by Utting, R. B.