Coat of arms
A heraldic design, usually displayed on a shield, that identifies a person, family, organization, or state.
Heraldry: The system of designing, displaying, and recording coats of arms and related insignia. The broader discipline that sets the rules for coats of arms.
Heraldic authority: An official body empowered to grant, register, or regulate coats of arms. Authorities record or grant arms in jurisdictions with regulated heraldry.
High Middle Ages: The period of European history spanning roughly the eleventh through thirteenth centuries. Hereditary armorial designs emerged in medieval Europe during this period.
Royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom: The official arms used by the British monarch and, in specified forms, by the United Kingdom’s government. It shows how a coat of arms can identify both a sovereign and state institutions.
Badge (heraldry): A heraldic emblem used for identification or affiliation without being a personal coat of arms. Badges can signal allegiance without functioning as arms borne by an individual or family.
Escutcheon: The shield-shaped surface on which a coat of arms is displayed. Its shape and divisions provide the design’s principal field.
Heraldic inheritance: The rules by which coats of arms pass through families and are distinguished among relatives. Inheritance links arms to family identity while allowing distinctions between branches.
Herald: An official who proclaimed messages, organized ceremonies, and identified participants through heraldic devices. Heralds helped interpret and record the designs used to identify armored participants.
Coat of arms of Canada: The official armorial bearings of Canada, adopted in 1921 and revised in 1994. Its quartered shield combines symbols associated with Canada’s history and constituent peoples.
Crest (heraldry): A figure or device placed above a helmet in a full heraldic achievement. A crest is one component of an achievement, not another name for the shield’s arms.