bend sinister
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
That in heraldry, a bend sinister indicates bastardy.
From New York Times • Dec. 19, 2019
Far better the bend sinister in his own class than a legitimate parent of the type of 'Gene Bisbee or D.V.
From The Avalanche by Atherton, Gertrude Franklin Horn
His descent was noble on one side, with or without the bend sinister, which he said he would never have disclaimed, had it been his, but which he did not happen to inherit.
From Essays in Little by Lang, Andrew
Thus a bend proceeding from the top of the left side of the shield is called a bend sinister.
From The Manual of Heraldry; Fifth Edition Being a Concise Description of the Several Terms Used, and Containing a Dictionary of Every Designation in the Science by Anonymous
To which I could only reply, "Madam, I have never yet discovered the bend sinister on our escutcheon."