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# Dictionary of Vexillology: Q (Quadrant – Quinterfoil)

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Last modified: 2026-04-11 by martin karner
Keywords: vexillological terms |
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On this page:

- QUADRANT
- QUARANTINE FLAG
- QUARTER
- QUARTERDECK STAFF
- QUARTERED
- QUARTERED DIAGONALLY
- QUARTER-FIELD CANTON
- QUARTERING
- QUARTERLY
- QUARTER-MOON
- QUARTER THE ARMS
- QUATREFOIL
- QUEEN’S COLOUR (or COLOR)
- QUEUE FOURCHÉ (or FOURCHÉE)
- QUEUED
- QUINAS
- QUINCUNX
- QUINTERFOIL (or QUINTEFEUILLE)

QUADRANT
  1) The term for a quarter of a circular or near-circular seal or emblem (see also seal and emblem, state, national or royal under emblem).
  2) A term also (mistakenly) used to cover an area equal to one quarter of a flag’s surface – but see canton 3).
  3) See quarter 2).

  Flag of Glendale, US; Flag of Sölvesborg, Sweden; Former flag of the Smithsonian, US

QUARANTINE FLAG
  In current usage, a plain yellow flag (‘Q’ Quebec in the International Code of Signal Flags) that is flown by a vessel arriving in port stating that it is healthy and requires medical clearance or free pratique – a pratique flag but see note below (also International Code of Signal Flags and visiting flag).

  Signal Flag Quebec

  Please note, it has been suggested that this flag (but flown to indicate the presence on board of infections/disease) has its origins in the late medieval period, however, in British usage it was established with its present meaning (by Act of Parliament) in 1825.

QUARTER
  1) A heraldic term for a rectangular panel occupying the upper dexter quarter of a shield or banner of arms (see also dexter and canton 4)).
  2) A heraldic term for one of the rectangles formed on a shield or banner of arms by the process of quartering – see the note below plus quartering, canton 3) and canton 4) (also banner of arms, grand quarter, quartered 1), quarterly, shield 1)).
  3) See quarter the arms.

  Former arms of Brodnica, Poland; Flag of North Bothnia, Sweden; Arms of the 16th Earl of Warwick, UK (Wikipedia)

  Please note with regard to 2) that the main quarters of a shield are described in canton 3) as referenced above, and are (from the point of view of the observer) 1 the upper left, 2 the upper right, 3 the lower left and 4 the lower right.

QUARTERDECK STAFF
  See ensign staff.

  SS Albula (source)

  Please note that this is a comparatively modern term, since the "quarterdeck" was not the aftmost deck of many sailing warships, and therefore, not the deck upon which an ensign staff was mounted.

QUARTERED
  1) In strict (English) heraldic usage the term for where a shield or banner of arms is divided into four or more quarters but which are taken from two or more previously unconnected sets of arms is in, for example, the royal standard of England 1340–1605 or France and England quartered – but compare with quarter the arms (see also banner of arms, quarter, quartering, quarterly and shield 1)).
  2) See quarterly.

  Standard of HM Queen Alexandra 1844–1925, UK; Royal Standard of England c1399–1603); Standard HM Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother 1900–2002, UK

QUARTERED DIAGONALLY
  1) In vexillology, a phrase that may be used in place of the heraldic term per saltire.
  2) In heraldry see per saltire 1).

  Jack of the Federated Malay States, 1939; Flag of an Air Force Command c1941, Germany; House Flag of Schwoon & Co. c1905, Germany

QUARTER-FIELD CANTON
  A term that may be used when the canton of a flag is of a different design or colour from its field, and which occupies exactly one-quarter of that field (see also canton 2)).

  National Flag of Samoa; National Flag of Taiwan; Civil Ensign of Guernsey

  Please note that this term has been introduced by the Editors as no established existing term could be found.

QUARTERING
  1) A heraldic term for the the marshalling (or placing) of two or more coats of arms on a shield or banner of arms in order to form a single escutcheon with four or more divisions, usually by drawing horizontal and vertical lines across it – but see point-in-point, impale, inescutcheon, (also banner of arms, marshalling, quarter, quartered 1), quarterly, shield 1)).
  2) (v) The act of creating divisions as described above (see also quarter 2)).

  Royal Standard, New Zealand; The Presidential Flag of Košice, Slovakia; Grand Ducal Standard of Mecklenburg, Germany c1897–1918

  Please note that whilst quarterings are generally (but not exclusively) restricted to four in flags, there is no actual limit to the number that may be employed (see also canton).

QUARTERLY
  A heraldic term for when the field of a shield, flag or banner of arms is divided horizontally and vertically into four quarters – but see quartered 1) (also banner of arms, canton 3), quarter, quarter the arms, quartering, shield 1)).

  Flag of Carrión de los Condes, Spain; Flag of Santorcaz, Spain; Flag of Praha 1, Czechia

QUARTER-MOON
  See crescent 1).

  Flag of Antongil, 1774–1786

QUARTER THE ARMS
  (v) The heraldic phrase used when a shield or banner of arms, which was formerly impaled, is divided into four, with the previously impaled arms displayed in opposing quarters – see impaled and compare with quartered 1).

  Arms of Castile and Leon impaled (CS and fotw); Flag of Castile and Leon, Spain with those Arms displayed quarterly

  Please note that in English heraldic usage the two separate coats of arms of a couple are generally impaled upon marriage, and that these same arms are then displayed quarterly by any children of that union – see quarterly).

QUATREFOIL
  1) In vexillology the term for a charge in the form of a stylized flower or plant with four petals or leaves (see also cinquefoil and trefoil).
  2) In heraldry as above, but the charge is almost invariably pierced – a caterfoil (see also pierced 2)).

  Flag of Enebakk, Norway; Flag of Brinkum, Germany; Flag of Sortes, Portugal

QUEEN’S COLOUR (or COLOR)
  See colour 2) and colours 2).

  Queen’s Colours of the RAF, UK, the RCN, Canada and the RAAF, Australia

QUEUE FOURCHÉ (or FOURCHÉE)
  The correct heraldic term for double queued (see also fourché).

  Arms and Flag of Vítonice, Czechia

QUEUED
  The heraldic term used when the tail of a heraldic beast is placed in a position other than bending over its back (as it is in passant), or is shown in a different tincture to the body – cowed – but see coward and double queued.

  Flag and Arms of Čeminac, Croatia; Flag of Halesowen, England

QUINAS
  The Portuguese term for the five plates or discs with which the five blue escutcheons on the national arms of Portugal are charged (see also disc and plates).

  Royal Banner 1248, National Arms and Royal Banner 1485, Portugal

QUINCUNX
  A term for the arrangement of five objects within a square (or rectangle) – generally one in the centre and one in each corner – but see the notes below.

  Flag of Oriola, Portugal; Flag of Thaleischweiler-Wallhalben, Germany; Flag of Caniço, Portugal

  Notes:
  a) This term is occasionally (and incorrectly) used to describe a 3-2-3-2-3 arrangement of the stars as sometimes seen on the original pattern of the stars and stripes – but see Betsy Ross flag (also continental colours, eagle standard, Franklin flag, great star flags, old glory, star-spangled banner, stars and stripes).
  b) It may also be (correctly) employed to describe an arrangement with four of those objects placed north, south. east and west as illustrated above.

QUINTERFOIL (or QUINTEFEUILLE)
  Alternative heraldic terms for a cinquefoil.

  Flag of Brno-Komín, Czechia

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