Pale - One of the nine honorable ordinaries. It is a vertical line, set upright in the middle of the shield and occupying one-third of the field. It seldom contains more than three charges.
Palewise - In the manner of a pale or pales; divided by perpendicular lines; to divide the field palewise.
- "Hath behind it palewise an abbot's crosier." -- Wood:
Fasti Oxon, i, 12.
Pall - A figure having the form of the letter Y. It consists of half a pale issuing from the base, and conjoined in the fesse point with half a saltier from the dexter chief and sinister chief.
Pallet - (pal'-let) A diminutive of the pale, being one-fourth of its breadth. (Some writers say one-half.)
Palletted - (pal'-let-ted) Being conjoined by a pallet; as "A chevron palletted."
Palmer's staff - A branch of a palm tree carried by a palmer in token of his having been to the Holy Land.
Paly - (pale"y) A field divided into four or more equal parts by perpendicular lines of two tinctures alternating. The number should always be specified; as, "Paly of six argent and gules."
Paly Bendy - When the divisions are again cut by diagonal lines, either dexter or sinister.
Papagay - (pap'-a-gay) A popinjay. An early bird in English heraldry.
Pard - A leopard.
Parted - [See PARTY.]
Partition - One of several divisions made in a coat when the arms of several families are borne on one shield, from intermarriage, etc. (In this connection see QUARTERING.)
Partition Lines - The lines by which a shield may be divided. They are closely allied to the ordinaries for which they are named. When a field is divided in the direction of an ordinary it is said to be "party per" that ordinary; as, party per pale, party per bend, etc. Unless otherwise specified, the partition lines are straight; they may, however, be drawn in a variety of ways, such as undy, embattled, dancette, etc.
Party - Parted: divided. Used in reference to any division of a field or charge. When a field is divided toward an ordinary it is said to be "party per" that ordinary.
Party Per Bend - When the field is divided by a line running diagonally from the dexter chief to the sinister base.
Party Per Chief - Divided by a horizontal line one-third the distance of the field from the top of the shield. (Party per chief is rare.)
Party Per Cross - This is called Quarterly.
Party Per Pale - Divided by a perpendicular line.
Party Per Fesse - Divided by a horizontal line in the center of the shield.
Passant - (pas'-sant) Walking; said of any animal, except beasts of the chase, when represented as walking, with the dexter paw raised. The same attitude in the case of a stag, hart, etc., would be trippant.
Patee - (pa'-tay) Spreading out at the extremity: applied principally to a cross. (Also written as paté and patée.)
Paternal - Paternal Arms. [See under ARMS.]
Patonce - (pay-tons) Applied to a cross having expanded ends, like the cross patée, each end terminating in three points.
Patriarchal cross - (pa'tri-ar-kal) A cross in which the shaft is twice crossed, the lower arms being longer than the upper.
Patronage - Arms of Patronage. [See under ARMS.]
Patte - [See PATEE.]
Pavilion - (pay-vil'-yun) A sort of mantling or claok in the form of a tent investing the coat of arms of a sovereign. [See MANTLING.]
Pavon - (pay'-von) A flag borne by a knight in the Middle Ages, upon which his arms were displayed. It was of triangular form, smaller than the pennon, and affixed to the upper part of his lance.
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Pean to Powdered
Prancing to Pye
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