- VAILING
- When the finial on the staff of military colour or parade flag is allowed
to touch or nearly touch - the ground whilst being lowered in salute - but
see 'trailing 1)' (also
dipping 1)).
- VANE
- 1) A term, now obsolete, for a short, triangular pennant (sometimes stiffened
with a frame) formerly flown from the mastheads of sailing vessels in place of
a masthead pennant (see also
masthead pennant 1)).
- 2) A length of bunting (or other light material) fixed in the shrouds of a
yacht or small sailing vessel to indicate wind direction a wind vane.
- 3) A small metal flag-like object; generally set on a rod on the top of a
building a weather vane.
- 4) A pre-heraldic vexilloid in the form of a decorative metal plaque mounted
onboard ship by the Vikings (see also pre-heraldic
and vexilloid).
- VANNALUM
- A medieval term, now obsolete, for a small flag or vane - see
vane 1).
- VANNERIA
- A medieval term, now obsolete, for a banner see
banner.
- VENETIAN ENTASIS TAPER
- A distinctive design invented in Venice that gives an aesthetically pleasing
taper to a tall flagpole, and now the most common form used (see also
flag pole).
- VERGETTE
- See paly in Appendix VI.
- VERT
- A heraldic term for the colour green (see also Appendix III
and rule of tincture).
- VERTICAL MERIDIAN (or MEDIAN)
- See meridian.
- VETERANS FLAG
- The flag of an organization representing the veterans of a particular, service,
war, campaign, or unit. The flags of veterans organizations are often mounted,
trimmed and treated like a military colour (see
parade flag and
colour 2)).
![[Royal British Legion]](../images/v/vxt-d343.gif)
Flag of the Royal British Legion, UK (Graham Bartram)
- VESSEL FLAG
- In US army usage, a flag flown by a military vessel indicating the branch
or corps to which it belongs.
- VEXIFERRET
- A colloquial term for one who undertakes an assiduous search for (sometimes obscure)
flag information (see also vexiferreting below and
vexillologist).
- VEXIFERRETING
- A colloquial term for the assiduous search for (sometimes obscure) flag information (see also
vexiferret above and vexillologist).
- VEXILLARIUS
- 1) See 'vexillifer'.
- 2) A member of a Roman military unit (vexillatio) detached from the main force under a vexillum
but see vexillation (also vexillifer and
vexillum).
- VEXILLARY
- 1) (adj) Of or pertaining to flags (see also vexillology).
- 2) See vexillifer.
- VEXILLATION
- Any detachment of soldiers serving under a vexillum - but see vexillarius 2) (also
vexillifer and vexillum).
Please note this term is taken directly from the Latin vexillatio being a
detachment of soldiers as described above.
- VEXILLATOR
- A 19th Century term, now obsolete, for the standard bearer in a medieval mystery
play.
- VEXILLATRY (or VEXILLOLATRY)
- The treatment of a flag as a fetish or religious object.
- VEXILLIFER
- The bearer of the vexillum (see also vexillarius 2),
vexillation and vexillum.
- VEXILLOBIBLIOPHILE
- A person who loves and/or collects flag books (but see also
vexillophile below).
- VEXILLOGRAPHER
- A designer of flags, or the creator of a flag design.
- VEXILLOGRAPHY
- The designing of flags, or the creation of a flag design.
- VEXILLOID
- 1) A rigid emblem (such as a carved animal or similar) mounted on a pole,
which fulfils the function of a flag but which is not a flag, and characteristic
(but not exclusively so) of traditional societies not to be confused with a
tufa (see also tugh and
tufa).
- 2) As above, but the forerunner of the flag as in the Nome standards of ancient
Egypt, the Semeia of classical Greece or in the Eagles of a Roman legion (see
also eagle 2),
Semeion and
standard 5)).
- 3) See standard 6).
- VEXILLOPHILATELIST
- A student and/or collector of flag related postage stamps and/or of related
information.
- VEXILLOPHILE
- A collector of flags and/or of information regarding flags - a flag enthusiast
(but see also vexillobibliophile).
- VEXILLOLOGIST
- A student of vexillology (see also vexillology).
- VEXILLOLOGY
- The scholarly or scientific study of the history, symbolism and/or usage of
flags.
Please note, the term was coined by Dr. Whitney
Smith of the Flag Research Center (Massachusetts, USA) and based on the Latin
vexillum (see also vexillologist and
vexillum).
- VEXILLOPHILY
- The collection of flags and/or of information regarding flags (see
vexillophile above).
- VEXILLUM
- An ancient Roman standard consisting of an often decorated (usually) red or purple
cloth hung from a cross bar. It is considered to be the first true flag in Western
culture, and from which the term vexillology is derived (see also
vexillarius, vexillary 2), 'vexillation' and
vexillology).
![[Roman vexillum]](../images/v/vxt-d345.gif)
Vexillum of the 13th Legion (Eugene Ipavec)
Please note however, that whilst frequently described as a cavalry standard (which it was),
the vexillum also had a number of other military uses.
- VEXILLUM REGALE
- A medieval term, now obsolete, for the royal standard see
royal standard 1).
Please note that it is unclear whether the medieval
chroniclers were referring to a banner of the royal arms as is common today, or
to a standard of the heraldic pattern known to have been used by many English
kings in the medieval period (see also standard 4)).
- VEXILLI ERECTIO
- A medieval term, now obsolete, for the fixing of banners or standards to the walls
of a fortress (see also banner 1) and
'standard 4)).
