What does cottise mean?
A cottise is a narrow band used in heraldry as a diminutive of an ordinary, most often appearing as a slim stripe running parallel to and alongside a bend, the diagonal band that crosses a shield from shoulder to hip. When a bend is accompanied by one or two such flanking stripes, it is described in blazon as 'cottised,' and the accompanying bands are themselves the cottises. The term belongs to the specialised vocabulary of armorial design and appears chiefly in coats of arms, blazoning manuals, and discussions of heraldic symbolism. Like other heraldic diminutives, the cottise allows designers to add visual richness and distinction to a shield without introducing entirely new charges, signalling cadency, alliance, or simple artistic variation. Outside heraldic contexts the word is virtually unknown, making it a distinctly niche but well-established technical term.
nounIn heraldry, a narrow band or diminutive of an ordinary, especially one borne alongside a bend on either or both sides.
- A narrow band in heraldry, particularly one running alongside and parallel to a bend.
"The shield bore a bend cottised on both sides by two slender gold bands."
"The coat of arms displayed a black bend cottised between two white cottises."
"Heraldic manuals describe the cottise as a diminutive of the bend, drawn much narrower than the principal charge."
Standard plural for the noun referring to multiple heraldic bands.
"The design featured two cottises flanking the central bend."
In heraldry, when one stripe isn't enough, the slim companion bands flanking a bend are called cottises — the ordinary's built-in entourage.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of cottise
The word cottise derives from Old French, ultimately tracing back to the Latin 'costa', meaning rib or side, which also gave English the words coast and accost. It entered English through the language of medieval heraldry, where it named the narrow band set at the side of a bend. Its use has remained fixed within armorial terminology since the middle ages.
Related word forms
How cottise is actually used
A technical term confined almost entirely to heraldry and blazon; rarely encountered outside armorial descriptions and reference works.
Easily confused with cottise
A cosset is a petted lamb or a pampered person, whereas a cottise is a narrow heraldic band accompanying a bend.