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Cross

Heraldic Terms
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

A heraldic symbol consisting of two perpendicular bars intersecting at the center, frequently used in coats of arms and occasionally in symbolic poetry.

Detailed Definition
The cross is a symbol of faith, sacrifice, and protection. Poetry frequently employs it as a spiritual or moral emblem, linking characters or themes to religious or ethical dimensions.
Example
Example in poetry:
The cross patonce stood not just as faith but as the four corners of justice; “Cross and quill,” the poet paired them as tools of salvation and truth; The red cross on white, simple yet mighty, called the weary to mercy; In the field, the cross became a compass pointing to virtue’s north.
Additional Notes
Cross is a fundamental Christian symbol in heraldry, with hundreds of variants (e.g., cross pattée, cross moline); it can occupy the full field or serve as a charge; poets should recognize that the cross’s form conveys specific meanings—military, spiritual, or regional—and that its tincture interacts with the field per the rule of tincture.
Also Known As
Ordinary cross rood Crabbit
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