What does addorsed mean?
Addorsed is a specialized adjective from the vocabulary of heraldry, used to describe two animals or other charges depicted back to back on a coat of arms. When a blazon states that a shield bears two lions addorsed, it means the creatures are positioned with their backs toward each other, as opposed to facing one another or the viewer. The word derives from the Latin dorsum, meaning "back", via Old French, and shares its root with familiar words such as dorsal and endorse. Because it belongs almost entirely to the technical language of armory, addorsed appears mainly in descriptions of medieval and modern coats of arms, genealogical works, and heraldic reference books. For readers interested in the precise visual grammar of heraldry — where every posture, direction, and arrangement of a charge carries a specific name — addorsed is one of the many compact terms that make such exact description possible.
adjectiveIn heraldry, describing two animals or other charges depicted back to back on a coat of arms. The term is used chiefly of beasts such as lions, horses, or fish placed with their backs turned toward each other.
- (Heraldry) Of two animals or charges: placed back to back on an escutcheon.
"The coat of arms bore two addorsed lions supporting the central shield."
"The arms displayed two addorsed stags beneath the coronet."
"A pair of addorsed dolphins curved along either side of the crest."
Two lions standing back to back on a medieval shield aren't quarrelling — they're 'addorsed', one of heraldry's most elegant bits of Latin.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of addorsed
Addorsed comes from the Latin dorsum, meaning "back", combined with the prefix ad-, "to" or "toward" — literally "turned to the back". The term entered English through Old French during the medieval period, when the technical language of heraldry was being codified. It shares its Latin root with dorsal, endorse, and dossier.
How addorsed is actually used
Strictly a technical term of heraldry; rarely encountered outside blazonry and discussions of coats of arms. It is typically applied to pairs of animals rather than single figures.
Easily confused with addorsed
"Endorsed" means approved or signed in support of something, while "addorsed" is the heraldic term for figures placed back to back.