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Dictionary of Vexillology: C (Clad - Cognisance)

Last modified: 2024-09-28 by rob raeside
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CLAD
A term sometimes used in continental heraldry in place of its English heraldic equivalents of habited, habillé or vested – see ‘habited’ and ‘vested’).

Münchwilen, Switzerland Delnice, Croatia Delnice, Croatia
Flag of Münchwilen, Switzerland (fotw); Flag of Könnern, Germany (fotw); Flag of Damvant, Switzerland (fotw)


CLAD IN ARMOUR
1) In vexillology see 'armoured 1)'
2) In heraldry see ‘harnysed’.

Clad Clad Clad
Flag of Caldas de São Jorge, Portugal (fotw); Flag of Alvaneu, Switzerland (fotw); Flag of Kriegsfeld, Germany (fotw)


CLAN STANDARD
A term sometimes (inaccurately) used to describe the heraldic standard of a Scottish Laird or clan chief – see ‘battle standard’, ‘pageant standard’, ‘great standard’ and ‘standard 4)’ (also ‘pinsel’).

Clan standard
Standard of the Laird of Clan McDonald of McDonald (The Flag Center)


CLASP
See ‘bar 3)’.

CLASS FLAG
In British RAF usage, the alternative name for a rank flag – see ‘rank flag 1)

Air Chief Marshal Air Marshall Air Vice-Marshall Air Commodore
RAF - Air Chief Marshal, Air Marshal. Air Vice-Marshall, Air Commodore (fotw)


CLAWED
In heraldry see ‘armed 2’.

Bezverov, Czechia Bezverov, Czechia
Flag and Arms of Bezverov, Czechia (fotw)


CLEAN MARINA FLAG (or PENNANT)
In US usage the flag (or pennant) flown by those marine facilities that have reached an acceptable standard under various state sponsored programs - see ‘blue flag’ (also ‘pumpout flag’).

clean marina example clean marina example clean marina example
Clean Marina Flags: South Carolina, Virginia, and Washington (fotw)


CLEAT
A metal fitting with two arms, which is attached to the lower part of a flagpole or mast for securing the halyard (see also ‘belaying pin’, ‘flag pole’ and ‘halyard’).

cleat example
Željko Heimer


CLEW(S)
A term for the lower fly corner or both lower corners of a flag – particularly (but not exclusively) a religious/processional banner or similar – to which a line or lines are attached so as to prevent unwanted movement - particularly in windy conditions (see also ‘banner 3)’ and ‘outrigger pole’)

CLIP
See ‘Inglefield clip

CLIP AND GROMMET
An efficient method of hoisting a flag much favoured in the US, whereby clips attached to the halyard are slipped into grommets on the flag – see ‘grommet 1)’ and ‘Inglefield clip’ (also ‘appendix I’ and ‘running eye and toggle’).

clip and grommet example
Željko Heimer


CLOSED SLEEVE
A technical term for the sleeve of a flag (usually a parade flag) which is closed at its upper end so that the staff (when inserted) does not project above the top of that flag (see also ‘sleeve 2)’, ‘staff 2)’ and ‘parade flag’).

CLOSE UP (or CLOSED UP)
(adj) The naval term for when a flag or pennant is hoisted right up to the truck (see also also ‘code pennant’, ‘dip, at the’ and ‘truck’).

CLOTHED
In heraldry see ‘clad’, ‘habited’ and ‘vested’).

clothed clothed clothed
Flag of Bloke, Slovenia (fotw); Flag of Oberägeri, Switzerland (fotw); Flag of Marijanci, Croatia (fotw)


CLOVEN BULLNOSE
See ‘double tailed descate’.

[cloven bullnose example]


CLOVEN DESCATE
See ‘descate’.

[cloven descate example]
Guidon of the Metropolitan Police Mounted Branch, UK (fotw)


CLOVERLEAF
In heraldry see ‘trefoil’.

[cloverleaf example] [cloverleaf example]
Flag and Arms of Tzum, The Netherlands (fotw)


CLOVERSTEM(S) (or CLOVER STEM)
The term – and a direct translation of kleestengeln or kleestengel – for a charge largely (but not exclusively) used on heraldic birds (especially eagles in European heraldry) which may be described as a crescent-like shape (usually but not invariably) ornamented with trefoil/clover leaf elements either at one or both ends and/or in the middle, and sometimes visible only on the wings – kleestengeln or kleestengel (see also ‘crescent 2)’ and ‘trefoil’).

cloverstem cloverstem cloverstem
Flag of Brandenburg, Germany (fotw); Flag of Brodeslavy, Czechia (fotw); Flag of Porta Westfalica, Germany (fotw)


CLUB PENNANT
A small triangular flag designed to be hung vertically usually charged with the emblem and livery colours of a sporting club – a vertical pennant (see also ‘livery colours’, ’pennant 2’ and ‘souvenir flags’).

club pennant club pennant club pennant
Pennants of the Deutscher Ruder Sport Verband, the Hamburger Motorboot Verband and the Deutscher Kanuverband, Germany (fotw)


CMYK
The Initials for Cyan, Yellow, Magenta and Black, being the four primary shades used in the print process to create any colour, and an abbreviation for the four-colour printing system (see also ‘cable number’, ‘British colour code’, ‘Pantone Matching System’ and ‘International Colour Code’).

Sweden
CMYK for the National Flag of Sweden - Blue: 10% Yellow, 50% Magenta and 100% Cyan, Yellow: 100% Yellow and 20% Magenta


COACHWHIP PENNANT
See ‘masthead pennant 2)’ and ‘whip pennant 2)’).

coachwhip pennant
Coachwhip/Masthead Pennant, Italy (fotw)


COAT
A heraldic term that refers to each individual section or quartering on a shield or banner of arms – see 'coat of arms 2)' (also 'banner of arms', 'impaled', 'quartering' and 'shield 2)’).

COAT OF ARMS (or COA)
1) On flags and generically, the heraldic insignia of an individual or family, or of a corporate institution such as a nation, province or municipality, or of a commercial enterprise. In general terms the coat of arms can contain all the elements that make up a full set of armorial bearings – a COA or arms – but see 2) below (also ‘lesser arms’, ‘middle arms’ and ‘state arms 1)’ under ‘arms’).
2) In heraldry, as above but the term only refers to the shield from a full set of armorial bearings – an escutcheon or arms (see also ‘armorial bearings’, 'banner of arms', and ‘shield’).

coat of arms coat of arms coat of arms
Flag of Kula Norinska; Coat of Arms of Devon, England (fotw); Flag of Ðelekovec, Croatia (fotw)

Notes
a) A full set of armorial bearings can include (for example) shield, supporters, helmet, torse, crest, mantling, compartment, motto, collar etc., and whilst many of the terms used are illustrated in
Appendix IV and/or briefly defined herein, it is suggested that a suitable glossary or heraldic dictionary be consulted for full details.
b) The emblems of some countries such as those of Mexico or Italy – whilst conforming to the definition of that term as detailed herein – are officially described as “coats of arms” (see also ‘
emblem, national’).

coat of arms
National Coat of Arms/Emblem of Mexico (fotw)


COCKADE
1) A rosette or bow, generally in national or livery colours, and sometimes used to decorate a staff below the finial (see also ‘cravat 1)’, ‘finial’, ‘livery colours’ and ‘staff’).
2) A rosette or bow formerly worn by both military personnel and civilians (largely on the hat or shako) to indicate patriotic or political loyalties and still sometimes seen.
3) See ‘roundel 1)’.

flag - Colombia cockade - Colombia cockade - Peru flag - Peru
National Flag and cockade of Colombia, plus National Cockade and Flag of Peru (fotw)

Please note that the cockade was the precursor of many national flags (those of Argentina and France being two examples).


COCKATRICE (or COCATRICE)
In heraldry see ‘dragon’ and its following note.

cockatrice
Flag of Porrentruy, Switzerland (fotw)


CODE PENNANT
A tapered, square-ended pennant (or trapezoid) used in the International Code of Signal Flags to indicate a decimal point, but more importantly that a message has been seen by the intended recipient when hoisted at the dip, and/or that it has been received and understood when closed up – the answering pennant (see also ‘close up’, ‘dip, at the’, ‘International Code of Signal Flags’, ‘pendant coupee’ and ‘signal flag’ and ‘trapezoid 2)’).

 code pennant
Code pennant (fotw)

Please note that this pennant is also included in the NATO Code of Signals, but (as opposed to the meanings given above) is raised at the start of a signal hoist to indicate that any following message must be read using the International Code.

COG
1) See ‘cog-wheel’.
2) A type of single-masted, medieval trading vessel (usually shown with fore and aft castles as equipped for war) – but see ‘ancient ship’, ‘nef’ and the note below.

[Kostrena] [Kostrena] [cog]
Flag and Arms of Kostrena, Croatia (fotw); Flag of Wittmund, Germany (fotw)

Please note with regard to 2) that the terms cog and nef both refer to a single-masted vessel and are generally considered interchangeable, however, strictly speaking the earlier cog was most often steered by a long oar, whereas the later nef invariably had a stern mounted rudder.


COG-WHEEL (COG WHEEL or COGWHEEL)
A toothed wheel used in mechanical engineering to transmit power, and usually symbolic of industry or industrial workers – a toothed or gear-wheel - but see ‘waterwheel’.

[cog-wheel] [cog wheel] [cog wheel]
Flag of Grevesmühlen, Germany (fotw); Flag of Le Sentier, Switzerland (fotw); Flag of the Labour Party, Turkey (fotw)


COGNISANCE
1) In flags a medieval term, now obsolete, for a lance pennon - see ‘lance pennon 1)’.
2) In heraldry as above but the term can include everything by which an armigerous person is known (see also ‘armigerous’).

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