What does flanch mean?
In the specialized vocabulary of heraldry, a flanch is one of a pair of curved lines placed on either side of an escutcheon, each bowing inward from the shield's edge toward its center. Classified among the subordinary charges — lesser devices that modify or adorn the main field of a coat of arms — the flanch is essentially a frame element, valued for the elegance of its simple arc rather than for any pictorial content. Like other heraldic charges, it is rendered in a tincture and formally recorded in blazon when a coat of arms is granted or described. The word is rare outside heraldic literature: it surfaces in armory handbooks, genealogical descriptions, and historical treatises on armorial bearings, but not in general conversation. For readers interested in the language of heraldry, however, flanch is a useful term to know, since it names one of the recognized ways a shield could be embellished, and it illustrates how minutely medieval and later European armory codified even the simplest geometric decoration.
nounIn heraldry, a flanch is one of a pair of curved lines borne on either side of an escutcheon, bowing inward from the edges toward the middle of the shield. It is classified among the honorable ordinaries and subordinaries.
- A heraldic charge: one of two curved lines drawn within the dexter and sinister edges of an escutcheon, curving toward the center of the field.
"The coat of arms bore a simple silver shield charged with a pair of gold flanches on either side."
"The grant of arms showed the family's motto beneath a shield flanked by slender flanches."
"Heraldic manuals list the flanch among the subordinary charges, alongside the bordure and the orle."
As a countable heraldic charge, flanch takes the regular plural; arms conventionally bear the charge in pairs, so the plural form is the usual way it is described.
"The patent of arms specified a pair of golden flanches upon the field."
Flanch proves that even a couple of curved lines drawn beside a shield once counted as genuine heraldry — armorial design at its most minimalist.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of flanch
The precise origin of the word flanch is uncertain, and dictionaries record it chiefly as a heraldic term of obscure derivation. Some authorities have connected it to words such as flange and flank, which describe projecting or side elements, suggesting a possible link to a Germanic or Romance source concerned with 'side' or 'edge', but no single widely accepted etymology has been established. What is certain is that the term entered English usage through the language of heraldry, where it has long served to name the pair of curved charges flanking a shield.
How flanch is actually used
Flanch is a rare technical term encountered almost exclusively in heraldry, armory reference works, and discussions of coats of arms; it does not appear in everyday speech. In heraldic blazon it is typically described simply by its tincture.
Easily confused with flanch
A flange is a projecting rim or collar on a pipe, wheel, or beam used for strength or attachment, whereas a flanch is a purely heraldic charge consisting of curved lines on the sides of a shield.
Blanch is a verb meaning to whiten, especially by scalding food, while flanch is a noun denoting a heraldic device on the side of a shield.