Ordinary (heraldry)

In heraldry, an ordinary is a simple geometrical figure on the arms, wider than a line or division of the field.

Examples include:

• Pale: a vertical bar
  • Pallets : more than one pale
• Fess: horizontal bar in the centre
  • Bars : more than one fess
• Chief: horizontal bar at the top
• Bend: diagonal bar \
  • Bendlets: more than one bend
• Cross: vertical/horizontal cross +
• Saltire: diagonal cross ×
• Chevron: upward pointing
  • Chevronels: more than one chevron
• Pile: downward pointing triangle