Medieval Glossary

Chief

In heraldry, an ordinary formed by a horizontal line occupying the upper part of the escutcheon. Any object borne in the upper or chief part of the shield is said to be "in chief," though the chief may not be divided off from the rest of the field as a separate portion.

Related term(s): Heraldry; Ordinary; Escutcheon (Heraldry); Shield; Bend; Fess
Category: Heraldry
Added: 06.03.06
Source information: Wilhelm, Thomas. A Military Dictionary and Gazetteer. Philadelphia: L.R. Hamersly & Co., 1881. 103.

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