Feeding; applied only to cattle and sheep.
 

Gules, pallets Or

A diminutive of the pale, being one-fourth of its breadth. (Some writers say one-half.)
 

Being conjoined by a pallet; as “A chevron palletted.”
 

a palmer's staff

A branch of a palm tree carried by a palmer in token of his having been to the Holy Land.
 

Paly bendy Or and azre

When the divisions are again cut by diagonal lines, either dexter or sinister.
 

a panther

The heraldic Panther is always shown “incensed”, having flames flying from its ears and mouth. The creature is desribed as beautiful and kind and that when it awakes from sleep “a lofty sweet singing comes from his mouth and ... a delightful stream of sweet smelling breath” that all the other beasts follow, except for the dragon who fears it and flees. Sometimes this beast is shown as an ordinary panther-type animal, on other occasion (particularly in German heraldry) as a creature with 4 horns, cows ears, and a long fiery red tongue. This beast was a badge of Henry IV and Henry VI.
 

A popinjay. An early bird in English heraldry.
 

a papal cross

An historical cross. The three crossbeams are signs of the Popes' spiritual, ecclesiastical, and temporal power. It is not used in secular Armory, except in those cases where it is granted by the Pope. Several Italian families bear it as an augmentation.
 

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.)
 

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.
 

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.
 

Those that descend by custom to the male heir. The descendants of females (heiresses) can only quarter their arms, except by special license.
 

a paternoster

A composed cross. A cross made up of prayer beads. Given in several theoretical works, but not attested in Armory.
 

Applied to a cross having expanded ends, like the cross patée, each end terminating in three points.
 

Spreading out at the extremity: applied principally to a cross.
 

A sort of mantling or cloak in the form of a tent investing the coat of arms of a sovereign.
 

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.
 

A pea-stalk with flowers and leaves.
 

A baker's shovel.
 

Pegasus, the winged horse from the Greek legends and mythology. The graceful pegasus was taken as the symbol of the Knights Templar. It is held as a symbol of fame, eloquence, and contemplation.
 

a pelican in her piey

A pelican represented in the act of wounding her breast to feed her young with her own blood. This came from a fabulous tale in natural history told in the Middle Ages, and which made the bird the adopted symbol of the Redeemer.
 

a pellet

A black roundel.
 

Having wings. (Applied to a hawk's lure.)
 

A small flag or streamer half the size of the guidon.
 

By: by the means of: by way of.
 

Per chevron azure andOr

Applied to an escutcheon which is divided by lines in the form of a chevron.
 

Per chevron inverted azure and Or

Per chevron inverted embattled gules and rgent

Applied to an escutcheon which is divided by lines in the form of an inverted chevron.
 

Divided by a horizontal line one-third the distance of the field from the top of the shield. (Party per chief is rare.)
 

Per pall sable, argent and gules

Applied to an escutcheon which is divided by a line in the form of the pall.
 

Per pall inverted Or, gules and azure

Applied to an escutcheon which is divided by lines in the form of an inverted pall.
 

Per pile sable and O

Applied to an escutcheon which is divided by lines in the form of the pile.
 

Per saltire gules andargent

Applied to an escutcheon which is divided by lines in the form of a saltire.
 

The lower part of the garter with the buckle, etc.
 

An instrument used in the chase; a spike; a pike.
 

a pilgrim's scrip

A pouch, or wallet.
 

Pilly Or and gules

A field divided into four or more piles.
 

By this term the pine cone was meant; but in modern times this true fruit has been sometimes depicted w here the blazon meant the cone.
 

plaza genista

The broom-plant; well known as the badge of the Plantagenet Kings of England.
 

Fullness. When the moon is represented full it is described as “the moon in her plenitude.”
 

Bowed and bent.
 

The fist; the hand closed, as distinguished from apaumé.
 

When the base somewhat resembles the pile.
 

Said of a cross when its ends are so cut; as, a cross pointed.
 

Said of a cross or escarbuncle having a circular projection in the middle of each arm.
 

a pomme

A figure representing an apple; it is always of a green color. A roundel tinctured vert.
 

Having a pommel, as a sword or dagger.
 

A cross having two balls or buttons at each end.
 

a pompeiian cross

A figure with Christian overtones, found as a piece of graffiti in Pompeii. It is interesting to our study for its possible importance in the development of the cross as the preeminent Christian symbol. A polyglot of Latin and Greek, it has been variously translated. One translation holds it to mean “He who sets and holds the wheel of things in motion”.
 

a cross pomy

A cross having the ends terminating in single balls.
 

a popinjay

A parrot, depicted as vert, beaked and membered.
 

Borne bendwise; diagonally across the escutcheon. Example: A cross portate = a cross lying as if carried on a persons shoulder.
 

a portcullis

A frame of wood, strengthened and spiked with iron, used for the defense of the gate of a castle.
 

Said of a lion, horse or other beast when represented standing still, with all four feet on the ground.
 

Placed.
 

Potent

Potenty gules and sale

One of the heraldic furs, composed of patches, supposed to represent crutch heads; the color is usually argent and Azure alternating. If otherwise, this should be specified. Potent is a variety of vair, and in early times was often blazoned “vair potent.” Potent is also defaulted to argent and Azure.

If other combinations are used, they must be similarly blazoned, e.g. potenty gules and sable.

For alternate versions of Potent, See Also Potent En Pointe and Counter-Potent.
 

potent en pointe

This is a variation of potent, differing only in the arrangement of the fur.
 

Applied to a bearing when the outer edges are T-shaped, or form into potents.
 

A line potenty

Per pale potenty gules and azure

A complex field division line that resembles the heraldic fur Potent.
 

Said of a falcon seizing his prey.
 

Applied to a horse represented rearing.
 

A mythical descendant of Ogier the Dane. In the Middle Ages he was believed to rule as a Christian sovereign and priest in the interior of Asia. A representation of the Prester John may be seen on the arms of the See of Chichester.
 

At prey is applied to the falcon when represented feeding.
 

Applied to any beast or bird of prey when represented standing on and in a proper position for devouring its prey.
 

Devouring.
 

A term applied to the peacock, turkey cock and other birds which spread their tails in a circular form and drop their wings; as, "A peacock in his pride".
 

A term sometimes applied to the quatrefoil.
 

An Ordinary, so called because they peculiarly belong to the art of heraldry.
 

To ornament with a bordure of ermines, etc.
 

A border of fur shaped exactly like vair. When of one row only, it is called purflewed; when of two, counter-purflewed; when of three, vair.
 

purpure

Purpure is represented by diagonal lines traveling from the lower left to the upper right

The color purple, esp. in heraldry. It is represented in engraving by diagonal lines declining from the right top of the shield to the left base (from sinister chief to dexter base).
 

An official in the English College of Arms. There are four pursuivants Rouge Croix, Blue Mantle, Rouge Dragon and Portcullis. There were formerly six pursuivants attached to the court of Lyon King-of-Arms, in Scotland Unicorn, Carrick, Bute, Kintyre, Ormond, and Dingwall. The last three have been abolished.
 

The popinjay; the woodpecker.
 

A magpie.
 

A winged serpent or snake.