Pimbley's Dictionary of Heraldry

Pimbley's Dictionary of Heraldry - W

Water budget - (buj'et) A bearing which represents the ancient water budget, or bucket, consisting of two leather vessels connected by a stick or yoke and carried over the shoulder. They were used by soldiers for carrying water on long marches, and were also utilized by water carriers to convey water from the conduits to the houses of the citizens.

The wated budget is an early and frequent bearing in English heraldry.

Watery - A term sometimes used to express UNDE.

Wattle - The fleshy lobe that grows under the throat of a domestic fowl.

Wattled and combed - When the gills and comb are of a different tincture from that of the body. (Said of the cock.)

Waved - The same as UNDY.

Wavy - The same as UNDY.

Welt - A narrow border to an ordinary or charge.

Whelk - The ordinary sea shell.

Whelk's shell - The same as WHELK.

White - This color in heraldry is known as argent.

White Cross Knight - A Hospitaller. These knights wore a white cross to distinguish them from the Knights Templar, who wore a red cross.

White spur- A kind of esquire.

Wildcat - - [See cat.]

Windsor - The name of one of the six heralds in the College of Arms.

Winged - Depicted as having wings; or having wings of a different tincture from the body.

Winged lion - This was the symbol of St. Mark, and was adopted as the heraldic device of the Venetian republic, when St. Theodore was supplanted as the patron saint of Venice by St. Mark. The bearing may be blazoned: "Azure, a winged lion sejant gardant, with a glory or; in his fore paws an open book, thereon "Pax tibi, Mare, Evangelista Meus," over the dexter page a sword erect, all proper.

Wiver - [See WYVERN.]

Wivern - [See WYVERN.]

Wreath - The roll or chaplet above the shield, supporting the crest. It is supposed to represent a twist of two silken cords, one tinctured like the principal metal, the other like the principal color, in the arms. Wreaths may also be circular, but the straight wreath is by far the more common.

Wyvern - An imaginary animal - a two-legged dragon, the body passing off into a long tail barbed at the end and generally borne nowed or knotted.