- QUADRANT
- 1) The term for a quarter of a circular or near-circular seal or emblem (see also ‘seal’ and ‘emblem,
state, national or royal’ under ‘emblem’ ).
2) A term also (mistakenly) used to cover an area equal to one quarter of a flag’s surface – but see ‘canton
3)’.
3) See ‘quarter 2)’.
Flag of Republic, US (fotw); Flag of
Kialegee Creek, US (fotw); Flag of
Glendale, US (fotw)
- QUARANTINE FLAG
- In current usage, a plain yellow flag (‘Q’ Quebec in the International
Code of Signal Flags) that is flown by a vessel arriving in port stating that
it is healthy and requires medical clearance or free pratique – a pratique
flag but see note below (also
‘International Code of Signal Flags’
and ‘visiting flag’).
Signal Flag Quebec (fotw)
Please note, it has been suggested that this flag (but flown to indicate the
presence on board of infections/disease) has its origins in the late medieval
period, however, in British usage it was established with its present meaning
(by Act of Parliament) in 1825.
- QUARTER
- 1) A heraldic term for a rectangular panel occupying the upper dexter
quarter of a shield or banner of arms
(see also ‘banner of arms’, ‘canton’,
‘dexter’,
‘grand quarter’,
‘quartering’
and ‘quarterly’).
- 2) A heraldic term for one of the rectangles formed on a shield or banner
of arms by the process of quartering – see ‘canton 3)’ and the note below (also
‘banner of arms’, ‘canton 3)’,
‘grand quarter’,
'quartering’,
'quartered 1)',
‘quarterly’
and ‘shield 1)’).
- 3) See ‘quarter the arms’.
Arms of
Bochnia, Poland (fotw), Arms of Dubrovnik-Neretva County, Croatia (fotw);
Arms of Brodnica, Poland (fotw); Arms of the 16th Earl of Derby, UK (Wikipedia)
Please note with regard to 2) that the main quarters of a shield are described in canton 3) as referenced above, and are (from the point of view of the observer) 1 the upper left, 2 the upper right, 3 the lower left and 4 the lower right
- QUARTERDECK STAFF
- See ‘ensign staff’.
(Wikipedia)
Please note that this is a comparatively modern term, since the “quarterdeck” was not the aftmost deck of many sailing warships, and therefore, not the deck upon which an ensign staff was mounted.
- QUARTERED
- 1) In strict (English) heraldic usage the term for where a shield or banner of arms
is divided into four or more quarters but which are taken from two or more previously unconnected
sets of arms is in, for example, the royal standard of England 1340 – 1605 or France
and England quartered - but compare with ‘quarter the arms’
(see also ‘banner of arms’, ‘quarter’, ‘quartering’,
‘quarterly’ and ‘shield 1)’)
2) See ‘quarterly’.
Royal Standard of England c1399 – 1603)
(fotw); Royal Standard of
HM Queen Alexandra 1844 – 1925, UK (fotw);
Standard of
HRH The Duke of Edinburgh, UK (fotw)
- QUARTERED DIAGONALLY
- 1) In vexillology, a phrase that may be used in place of the heraldic term
per saltire.
2) In heraldry see ‘per saltire 1)’.
Jack of the Federated Malay States, 1939 (fotw); Flag of
Forquetinha, Brazil (fotw);
Flag of Ducherow, Germany (fotw)
- QUARTER-FIELD CANTON
- A term that may be used when the canton of a flag is of a different design or colour from its field,
and which occupies exactly one-quarter of that field (see also ‘canton 2)’).
National Flag of Samoa (fotw); National Flag of
Taiwan (fotw); Civil Ensign of
Guernsey (fotw)
Please note that this term has been introduced by
the Editors as no established existing term could be found.
- QUARTERING
- 1) A heraldic term for the the marshalling (or placing) of two or more coats of arms on a shield or banner of
arms in order to form a single escutcheon with four or more divisions, usually by drawing
horizontal and vertical lines across it - but see ‘point-in-point’,
‘impale’,
‘inescutcheon’,
(also ‘banner of arms’, ‘marshalling’, ‘quarter’,
'quartered 1)',
‘quarterly’
and ‘shield 1)’).
- 2) (v) The act of creating divisions as described above (see also
‘quarter 2)’).
Royal Standard, New Zealand (fotw);
The Arms and Presidential Flag of Košice, Slovakia (fotw); Grand Ducal Royal
Standard Mecklenburg, Germany c1897–1918 (fotw); Flag of
Oostrozebecke, Belgium (fotw)
Please note that whilst quarterings are generally (but not exclusively)
restricted to four in flags, there is no actual limit to the number that may
be employed (see also ‘canton’).
- QUARTERLY
- A heraldic term for when the field of a shield, flag or banner of arms is
divided horizontally and vertically into four quarters - but see ‘quartered 1)’ (also
‘banner of arms’, ‘canton 3)’,
‘quarter’,
‘quarter the arms’, ‘quartering’
and ‘shield 1)’).
Arms of Saar, Germany (fotw); Flag of Maryland, US (fotw)); Arms and Flag of
Ammerland County, Germany (fotw)
- QUARTER-MOON
- See ‘crescent 1)’.
Flag of Antongil, 1774 – 1786 (fotw)
- QUARTER THE ARMS
- (v) The heraldic phrase used when a shield or banner of arms, which was formerly
impaled, is divided into four, with the previously impaled arms displayed in
opposing quarters – see ‘impaled’ and compare with ‘quartered 1)’.
Arms of Castile and Leon impaled (CS and fotw); Flag of Castile and Leon, Spain with
those Arms displayed quarterly (fotw)
Please note that in English heraldic usage the two separate coats of arms of a
couple are generally impaled upon marriage, and that these same arms are then
displayed quarterly by any children of that union - see ‘quarterly’).
- QUATREFOIL
- 1) In vexillology the term for a charge in the form of a stylized flower or plant with four petals or
leaves (see also ‘cinquefoil’
and ‘trefoil’).
- 2) In heraldry as above, but the charge is almost invariably pierced – a caterfoil (see also
‘pierced 2)’).
Flag of Brinkum, Germany (fotw);
Flag and Arms of Enebakk, Norway (fotw);
Arms and Flag of Sortes, Portugal (fotw)
- QUEEN’S COLOUR (or COLOR)
- See ‘colour 2)’ and
‘colours 2)’.
Queen’s Colours of the RAF,
UK, the
RAAF, Australia, and the
RCN, Canada (fotw)
- QUEUE FOURCHÉ (or FOURCHÉE)
- Alternative heraldic terms for double queued - see ‘double queued’
(also fourché).
Arms and Flag of Vítonice, Czechia (fotw & ICH)
- QUEUED
- The heraldic term used when the tail of a heraldic beast is shown in a
different tincture to the body, or is placed in a position other than bending
over its back – cowed - but see ‘coward’ and ‘double queued’.
Flag of Limburg, The Netherlands (fotw); Arms and Flag of
Čeminac, Croatia (fotw)
- QUINAS
- The Portuguese term for the five plates or discs with which the five blue escutcheons on the national arms
of Portugal are charged (see also ‘disc’ and
‘plates’).
Royal Banner of Portugal 1485 (fotw);
National Arms of Portugal (fotw)
- QUINCUNX
- Strictly speaking the arrangement of five objects within a square (or rectangle)
– one in the centre and one in each corner - the term is, however,
occasionally used to describe a 3-2-3-2-3 arrangement of the stars as sometimes seen on the original pattern of
the stars and stripes – but see ‘Betsy Ross flag’
(also ‘continental colours’,
‘eagle standard’,
‘Franklin flag’,
‘great star flags’,
‘old glory’,
‘star-spangled banner’ and
‘stars and stripes’).
Stars and Stripes 1777 - 1795 (fotw);
Flag and Arms of São Lourenço de Mamporcão, Portugal (fotw);
National Flag of the Solomon Islands (fotw)
- QUINTERFOIL (or QUINTEFEUILLE)
- Alternative heraldic terms for a cinquefoil - see ‘cinquefoil’.
Arms and Flag
of Brno-Komín, Czechia (fotw)