Dictionary of Vexillology: A (Abased - Advertising Pulldown)

Last modified: 2016-03-29 by rob raeside
Keywords: vexillological terms |
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• Introduction
• Table of Contents
• Index of Terms
• Next Page

On this page:

• ABASED
• ABEYANCE
• ABOVE
• ABSENCE PENNANT (or ABSENTEE PENNANT)
• ACCOLΙ
• ACCORNΙ
• ACCRETION
• ACHIEVEMENT (OF ARMS)
• ACHROME
• ACTION PENNANT
• ACTIVE
• ACTIVE AND INACTIVE
• ADDITION(S) OF HONOUR (or HONOR)
• ADDORSED
• ADDRESS GROUP
• ADMIRAL'S FLAG
• ADMIRALTY CROWN
• ADMIRALTY FLAG
• ADMIRALTY WARRANT
• ADMIRAL WITHOUT DISTINCTION OF COLOUR
• ADORNED
• ADVANCE THE COLOUR/COLOURS (or COLOR/COLORS)
• ADVENT CROSS
• ADVERTISING BANNER
• ADVERTISING PULLDOWN (or PULL-DOWN)

ABASED

(adv) A heraldic term for when the main ordinary on a shield, banner of arms or flag is placed in a lower position than is usual - lowered (see also ‘banner of arms’, ‘enhanced’ and ‘ordinary’).

From left: Examples (4); Flag and arms of Olszyna, Poland (Jarig Bakker)

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ABEYANCE

See ‘in abeyance’.

Former First Class Commodore’s Broad Pennant, UK (fotw)

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ABOVE

1) In vexillology a term used when a charge (or charges) is (or are) placed on top of, or immediately above another – but see ‘above 2)’ and ‘surmounted by 1)’ (also ‘charge 1)’).
2) In heraldry, see ‘ensigned’.

 
National Flag of Zambia (fotw); National Flag of Malawi (fotw); National Arms of Croatia (fotw); Flag and Arms of Jersey (fotw)

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ABSENCE PENNANT (or ABSENTEE PENNANT)

1) In widespread naval usage, one of four pennants (the first to the fourth substitute in the NATO Code of Signals) displayed (from the port or starboard yardarm) in port when the commanding officer of a ship or the flag officer or civil official whose flag has been flying in that ship is temporarily absent from the vessel (see also 'international code of signal flags’, ‘international code of signals’ and ‘substitute’).

2) See ‘owner absent flag’.

From left: First Substitute (Flag Officer Absent), Second Substitute (Chief of Staff Absent), Third Substitute (Captain Absent), Fourth Substitute (Civil/Military Official Absent)

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ACCOLΙ

See ‘gorged’.

Flag of Elgg, Switzerland

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ACCORNΙ

See ‘attired’.

 
Flag and Arms of Blνžejov, Czech Republic (fotw); Flag of Gδvleborg, Sweden (fotw)

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ACCRETION

A term sometimes used by textile experts involved in fabric conservation, and describes the soiling, mildew damage or other defects that occur on the surface of a flag.

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ACHIEVEMENT (OF ARMS)

1) See ‘armorial bearings’.

2) All the armorial bearings of a deceased person as displayed at that person’s funeral – a funeral achievement or hatchment (see also ‘armorial bearings’, ‘badge banner’, ‘bannerole’, ‘coat of arms’, ‘great banner’ and ‘grumphion’).

Achievement of Arms/Armorial Bearings of The Bahamas and of Guyana (fotw); Achievement of Arms/Armorial Bearings of the Late Sir Winston Churchill, UK (Churchill Society)

Please note with regard to 2) that if all the armorial bearings of a deceased person are displayed on a flag they become a great banner, or if less than all a bannerole, both as referenced above.

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ACHROME

The French for colourless – but see ‘monochrome 1)’.

Achromatic Illustration of 1993 (Tomislav Todorovic)

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ACTION PENNANT

See ‘paying off pennant’.

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ACTIVE

In vexillology a term that may be used to describe when the rays of a star or sun emblem, or a radiating stripe, are shown with undulating or wavy curves – see ‘active and inactive’ below and ‘inactive’ (also ‘radiating’, ‘rays 1)’, ‘star’ and its following note, ‘sunburst’, ‘sun emblem’ and ‘wavy’).

   
National Flag of Kyrgyzstan (fotw); Unofficial Flag of Guadeloupe (fotw); Flag of Pernambuco, Brazil (fotw)

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ACTIVE AND INACTIVE

In vexillology a term that may be used to describe when the rays of a star or sun emblem are shown with alternating wavy and straight rays – but see ‘sun-in-splendour’ (also ‘active’ above, ‘inactive’, ‘rays 1)’, ‘star’ and its following note, ‘sunburst’, ‘sun emblem’ and ‘wavy’).

 
The Sun and Star of May, with the National Flags of Argentina and Uruguay (fotw)

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ADDITION(S) OF HONOUR (or HONOR)

See ‘augmentation of honour’.

 
Arms and Government Ensign of Malta 1943 - 1964

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ADDORSED

1) See ‘appendix V’.

2) The heraldic term also used when two charges are turned outwards - endorsed (see also ‘charge 1)’).

Flag and Arms of Turośń Kościelna, Poland (Jarig Bakker); Flag of Sugnens, Switzerland (fotw); Flag and Arms of Kolšov, Czech Republic (fotw); Flag of Dorneck, Switzerland (fotw)

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ADDRESS GROUP

In US naval usage and in some others, the group of signal flags displayed by a vessel with a flag officer or unit commander embarked, and flown (together with a call sign hoist) when entering or leaving harbour - see ‘call sign hoist’ (also ‘signal flag’ and ‘signal hoist’).

 
Address Group of the Commander, Second Fleet, US (Sea Flags)

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ADMIRAL'S FLAG

See ‘flag of command 1)’.

   
Command Flags of an Admiral, Vice-Admiral, and Rear-Admiral, Austria-Hungary 1894 – 1915 (fotw)

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ADMIRALTY CROWN

An alternative British term for the naval crown - see ‘naval crown’.

Flag of the Sea Scouts, UK (fotw)

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ADMIRALTY FLAG

1) Specifically in UK usage see ‘anchor flag’ and its following note (also ‘fouled anchor’).
2) Generically the flag, usually (but not exclusively) flown ashore, which represents a maritime authority (see also ‘state ensign 2)’).

     
Flag of the Admiralty Board, UK; Flag of the Admiralty, Brazil (fotw); Flag of the Admiralty; Thailand (fotw); Flag of the Admiralty 1710 – 1802, Russia (fotw)

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ADMIRALTY WARRANT

See ‘warrant’ and its following note.

Ensign and Burgee of the Royal Mersey Yacht Club, UK (fotw)

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ADMIRAL WITHOUT DISTINCTION OF COLOUR

1) See ‘yellow admiral’.

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ADORNED

1) See ‘garnished’.
2) The heraldic term that may be used in place of garnished when a hat, or other item of clothing is decorated in a different tincture (see also ‘tincture’ and ‘vested’).

   
Flag of The Isle of Man, UK (fotw); Flag of St Blaise, Switzerland (fotw); Flag of Bargen, Switzerland (fotw)

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ADVANCE THE COLOUR/COLOURS (or COLOR/COLORS)

(v) A military term originally for moving a flag forward towards an enemy, and now used on ceremonial occasions as a command to parade the colour(s) forward (see also ‘colour 2)’, ‘colours 2)’, and ‘parade flag’).

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ADVENT CROSS

See ‘cross tau’ in ‘appendix VIII’.

Flag of St. Antφnien, Switzerland (fotw)

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ADVERTISING BANNER

See ‘banner 4)’.

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ADVERTISING PULLDOWN (or PULL-DOWN)

See ‘pulldown’.

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