▪ I. fesse1 Her.
(fɛs)
Also 6 fece.
[a. OF. fesse:—L. fascia band; mod.F. has fasce ad. L.]
1. An ordinary formed by two horizontal lines drawn across the middle of the field, and usually containing between them one third of the escutcheon.
| 1486 Bk. St. Albans Her. b ij, All the bastardis of all cot⁓armuris shall bere a fesse. c 1500 in Q. Eliz. Acad. (1869) 98 Pales, bendis, feces cheveronis. 1562 Leigh Armorie 113 b, The fielde Argent, a Fesse, Azure. 1688 R. Holme Armoury i. iii. 34/1 Fesse, Gules. 1763 Brit. Mag. IV. 238 Argent, on a fess, azure, three lozenges, or. 1872 Ruskin Eagle's Nest §235 The Fesse, a horizontal bar across the middle of the shield, represents the knight's girdle. |
b. in fesse (see
quot. 1889).
party per fesse: (of the shield) divided by a horizontal line through the middle.
| 1572 J. Bossewell Armorie ii. 54 He beareth d'Argente, fiue Fusilles in Fesse Gules. 1705 Hearne Collect. 12 Dec., A Book Expansed in Fesse. 1830 Robson Brit. Herald. III. Gloss., Fesseways or in fesse. 1889 Elvin Dict. Herald. 60 In Fesse, a term to express the position of charges when they occupy the position assigned to that ordinary. |
2. attrib. and
Comb., as
fesse-line;
fesse-point, the exact centre of the escutcheon;
† fesse-target (see
quot. 1889). Also
fesse-ways,
fesse-wise adv. = in fesse (see
fesse 1 b).
| 1775 Ash, *Fesse line, the line that constitutes the fesse. |
| 1562 Leigh Armorie 42 a, The *Fesse poynt. 1864 Boutell Heraldry Hist. & Pop. v. 23 The heraldic Cross..is produced by the meeting of two vertical with two horizontal lines, about the Fesse point. |
| 1586 J. Ferne Blaz. Gentrie 206 Adding to the same a *fesse Target, or scutcheon of pretence. 1889 Elvin Dict. Herald. 60 Fesse-Target, an old term for Escutcheon of Pretence. |
| 1725 Coats Dict. Herald. (ed. 2) 144 *Fesse-ways or in Fesse denotes things born after the Manner of a Fesse. 1830 [see 1 b]. |
| 1775 Ash, *Fesse-wise. 1864 Boutell Heraldry Hist. & Pop. xxi. §11 (ed. 3) 369 Two buckles, their tongues fesse-wise. |
▪ II. fesse2 Obs. exc. dial. A pale blue colour.
| 1577–87 Harrison England iii. viii, The floure [of the Saffron Crocus] beginneth to appeere of a whitish blew fesse, or skie colour. 1847–78 Halliwell, Fess..a light blue colour. Somerset. |