the art of blazoning armorial bearings, of settling the rights of persons to bear arms or to use certain bearings, of tracing and recording genealogies, of recording honors, and of deciding questions of precedence.
3.
the office or duty of a herald.
4.
a heraldic device, or a collection of such devices.
5.
a coat of arms; armorial bearings.
6.
heraldic symbolism.
7.
heraldic pomp or ceremony:
The coronation was marked by all the magnificence of heraldry.
They're back, and yellow ribbons are their heraldry.
To him who can decipher it, heraldry is an algebra, a complete language.
So as there is a kind of contemplative heraldry, as well as civil.
Father retired some years ago to devote his days to genealogical research and quaint questions of heraldry.
heraldry is mixed with haberdashery, humbug with history, and scholarly looking footnotes with simple-minded literalism.
Refusing to affix them gave me some freedom of action in the world of heraldry, and so with her names.
British Dictionary definitions for heraldry
heraldry
/ˈhɛrəldrɪ/
noun (pl) -ries
1.
the occupation or study concerned with the classification of armorial bearings, the allocation of rights to bear arms, the tracing of genealogies, etc
2.
the duties and pursuit of a herald
3.
armorial bearings, insignia, devices, etc
4.
heraldic symbols or symbolism
5.
the show and ceremony of heraldry
Derived Forms
heraldist, noun
Word Origin and History for heraldry
n.
"art of arms and armorial bearings," late 14c., heraldy, from Old French hiraudie "heralds collectively," from hiraut (see herald (n.)). The spelling with -r- is attested from 1570s (cf. poetry, pedantry).