Home › Glossary › Letter E

Erased

Heraldic Terms
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

Want to hear it? Click the Listen button to hear the browser speak the word using text-to-speech!

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

In heraldry, "erased" indicates a charge shown as if torn away, with jagged, irregular edges suggesting violence or forceful removal.

Detailed Definition
Erased shows a charge as if forcibly torn from its base, symbolizing violent separation or loss. Poetic references may convey abrupt endings, rupture, or dramatic change.
Example
Example in poetry:
The lion’s head erased, torn from its body, showed violent origin and power; “Erased from history,” the protest poem reclaimed the forgotten hero; The boar’s head erased, tusks bared, became a symbol of fierce independence; Erased but not forgotten, the charge lived in the poet’s defiant lines.
Additional Notes
Erased describes a charge (usually a head or limb) torn off with a ragged edge, suggesting violence or sudden removal; it differs from "couped," which is cleanly cut; in poetry, "erased" can symbolize trauma, abrupt loss, or heroic sacrifice; it is commonly used for animal heads to imply ferocity or wildness.
Also Known As
Ripped Torn (descriptive lay terms)
Skip to main content