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# Dictionary of Vexillology: N (Nebuly – Numeral Pennant)

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

- NEBULY
- NEEDLEWORK
- NEF
- NEOGRENADINE TRICOLOUR (or NEOGRENADINE TRIBAND)
- NEO-NAZI FLAGS
- NETTLE LEAF
- NIMBED
- NIMBUS
- NISSHOKI
- NOBORI
- NOIR
- NON-HERALDIC
- NORDIC CROSS
- NORTH-EAST DIAGONAL
- NORTH-SOUTH DIAGONAL
- NUMBER FLAG (or PENNANT)
- NUMERAL (or NUMERIC SIGNAL) FLAG
- NUMERAL PENNANT

NEBULY
  (adj.) The heraldic term for a sharply undulating line of division on a shield, banner or arms or a flag, or the edge of an ordinary such as a fess or chevron, and intended to represent clouds – but see note below (also banner of arms, fess, chevron 1) and ordinary).

  Flags of Meisterschwanden, Tartar and Buochs, Switzerland

  Please note that this term is not to be confused with unde, undy or wavy – see wavy.

NEEDLEWORK
  See embroider.

NEF
  A type of single-masted, medieval trading vessel (usually shown with fore and aft castles as equipped for war) – but see ancient ship, cog and the note below.

  Flag and Arms of New Brunswick, Canada (fotw & Wikimedia); Flag of Elblag County, Poland

  Please note that the terms "nef" and "cog" both refer to a single-masted sailing vessel and are generally considered interchangeable, however, properly speaking the cog was steered most often by a long oar, whereas the nef invariably had a stern mounted rudder.

NEOGRENADINE TRICOLOUR (or NEOGRENADINE TRIBAND)
  The terms sometimes applied to a horizontal tricolour whose upper stripe occupies one half of the flag's width (see also uneven tricolour).

  National Flag of Colombia; Flag of Jaramijo, Ecuador; National Flag of Ecuador

  Please note that the term dates from the early 19th century, and the South American wars of liberation against Spain – see flag family.

NEO-NAZI FLAGS
  See rune(s) (also arrow cross, cross potent, sun cross, swastika).

  Flag of the New Triumph Party, Argentina; Flag of National Democratic Party (1999–2009), Lithuania; Flag of the Hungarian Welfare Association, Hungary

NETTLE LEAF
  In continental (often but not exclusively German) heraldry, a term for the (usually) white charge that is reputed to be a development of the zigzag border (see also serrated 1)).

  Flag of Pinneberg, Germany; Flag of Tangstedt, Germany; Flag of Preetz City, Germany

NIMBED
  The heraldic term for being depicted wearing a halo – see nimbus.

  Flag of Stein am Rhein, Switzerland; Flag of Škabrnja, Croatia; Flag of Friedlisberg, Switzerland

NIMBUS
  The heraldic term for a halo, the aura (or circle of light) that surrounds the head in the representation of a saint or of a holy animal – see nimbed (also agnus dei, aureole, Eye of God, mandoria).

  Flag of Saint-Cierges, Switzerland; Flag of the Veneto Region, Italy; Flag of Glarus, Switzerland

NISSHOKI
  See hinomaru.

  National Flag of Japan

NOBORI
  See daimyo flags.

NOIR
  The French for black and sometimes (mistakenly) used instead of the correct heraldic term sable.

NON-HERALDIC
  1) The term used to describe those arms, symbols or colours which do not follow the established heraldic rules, or are not blazoned according to those rules – see rule of tincture and blazon (also 2) below).
  2) See anti-heraldry.

  National Flag of Anguilla; Arms and Flag of Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina

NORDIC CROSS
  See Scandinavian cross.

  National Flag of Iceland

NORTH-EAST DIAGONAL
  A diagonal stripe running from the upper fly edge to the lower hoist corner, whose corners may or may not touch the corners of the flag but whose width is contained within the length of the flag at its top edge and the width of the flag at its fly (see also Appendix IX, ascending diagonal, descending diagonal, east-south diagonal, east-west diagonal, north-south diagonal, south-east diagonal, south-north diagonal, west-east diagonal), west-north diagonal, west-south diagonal).

  Flag of Nýrovn, Czechia

  Please note that this term, whilst an extension of those existing and established, has been introduced by the editors.

NORTH-SOUTH DIAGONAL
  A diagonal stripe that runs from the upper hoist to the lower fly, and whose corners generally (but not invariably) touch the corners of the flag but whose width is entirely contained within the length of the flag – an enhanced bend – see bend (also ascending diagonal, descending diagonal’, east-west diagonal, north-east diagonal, south-east diagonal, south-north diagonal, west-east diagonal), west-north diagonal), west-south diagonal).

  Flag of Jama Canton, Ecuador; National Flag of Trinidad and Tobago; Flag of Aspariegos, Spain

NUMBER FLAG (or PENNANT)
  See insurance flag.

  Number Flag from Stralsund 1835, Germany

NUMERAL (or NUMERIC SIGNAL) FLAG
  Any one of a set of straight-sided flags of simple design representing the numerals zero to nine, and used in some naval flag signal codes – a numeric signal flag (see also numeral pennant and signal flag).

  Numeral Flags 1, 2 & 7 in the RN/USN/NATO Code of Naval Signals

NUMERAL PENNANT
  Any one of a set of tapered square-ended pennants (or trapezoids) of simple design representing the numerals zero to nine, and used in the International Code of Signal flags as well as some naval flag signal codes (see also code pennant, International Code of Signal Flags, numeral flag, signal flag, substitute, trapezoid 2)).

  Numeral Pennants 0 and 7 in the International Code of Signals

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