Adjacent Words

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WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: (heraldry) an ordinary consisting of a broad horizontal band across a shield [syn: fesse, fess]

Merriam Webster's

I. noun also fesse Etymology: Middle English fesse, from Anglo-French faisse band, from Latin fascia — more at fascia Date: 15th century 1. a broad horizontal bar across the middle of a heraldic field 2. the center point of an armorial escutcheon II. intransitive verb Etymology: short for confess Date: 1840 to own up ; confess — usually used with up

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. (also fesse) Heraldry a horizontal stripe across the middle of a shield. Phrases and idioms: fess point a point at the centre of a shield. in fess arranged horizontally. Etymology: ME f. OF f. L fascia band

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Fess Fess, Fesse Fesse, n. [OF. fesse, faisse, F. fasce, fr. L. fascia band. See Fascia.] (Her.) A band drawn horizontally across the center of an escutcheon, and containing in breadth the third part of it; one of the nine honorable ordinaries. Fess point (Her.), the exact center of the escutcheon. See Escutcheon.