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# Dictionary of Vexillology: F (Federal Service Flag – Fixed)

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Last modified: 2026-05-16 by martin karner
Keywords: vexillological terms |
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- FEDERAL SERVICE FLAG
- FER-DE-CHEVAL
- FER DE MOLINE
- FERRULE
- FESS (or FESSE)
- FESS-POINT (or FESSE-POINT)
- FESS WAVY
- FESSWISE
- FESSY
- FESTIVE BANNER (or FESTIVE FLAG)
- FICHÉ
- FICTIONAL FLAG
- FICTITIOUS FLAG
- FIELD
- FIELD FLAG<
- FIGURED
- FILET
- FILET CROSS (or FILET SALTIRE)
- FILLET
- FIMBRIATED TRIBAND
- FIMBRIATED TRICOLOUR/TRICOLOR
- FIMBRIATION (or FIMBRIATED)
- FIN FLASH (or MARKING)
- FINIAL
- FINISHING FLAG
- FINNED
- FIRE ALERT FLAG
- FIRESTEEL
- FIRST CANTON (or QUARTER)
- FISH
- FITCHY (FITCHÉ or FITCHED)
- FIXED

FEDERAL SERVICE FLAG
  The term, and a direct translation of Bundesdienstflagge, used in Austria and Germany for the flag flown by agencies of the federal government – see state flag 1) (also state service flag 1)).

  The Federal Service Flags of Austria and Germany

FEEDING
  When referring to animals in heraldry see paissant.

  Flag of Hottwil, Switzerland

FER DE CHEVAL
  The alternative heraldic term for a horseshoe.

  Arms and Flag of Åseral, Norway

FER DE MOLINE
  An alternative heraldic term for a mill bearing – see millrind.

  Arms and Flag of Pepinster, Belgium (Wikimedia & fotw)

FERRULE
  A metal tip placed on the bottom of a staff (see also pike and staff 2)).

  Ferrule According to Spanish Regulations (Reglamento de Banderas y Estandartes, Guiones, Insignias y Distintivos > Regla no. 11)

FESS (or FESSE)
  1) In vexillology the central stripe of a horizontal triband or tricolour – see triband 2) and tricolour 2).
  2) In heraldry the term for a horizontal stripe where the centre line lies along the horizontal meridian of a shield, a banner of arms or any quartering/division thereof, and which (in strict heraldic usage) should occupy one-third the width of that shield, banner of arms or quartering/division (see also bar, in fess, per fess, quartering 1)).

  Flag of Werne, Germany; Flag of Borken County, Germany; Flag of Warendorf 1952–1974, Germany

  Notes
  a) With regard to 1) in vexillology a fess and a bar are regarded as almost synonymous, however:
  b) Regarding 2) in correct heraldic usage there is a size difference between the two, and that a fess should be confined to the centreline of the field whereas a bar or bars need not.
  c) It should further be noted that a fess may be wavy or otherwise embellished/differenced as illustrated below.

  Arms of Figueiró, Portugal

FESS-POINT (or FESSE-POINT)
  In heraldry see honour point 2).

FESS WAVY
  In heraldry see fess 2) and its following note c).

  Flag of Breitenbach, Switzerland

FESSWISE
  1) In traditional heraldry see in fess.
  2) In some heraldic usage this term relates specifically to the axis of a charge or charges, rather than to its, or their position, on a shield, a banner of arms or a flag – but see in fess as referenced above, and the note below.

  Flag of Hölstein, Switzerland; Flag of Forno Telheiro, Portugal; Flag of Klagenfurt, Austria

  Please note with regard to 2) that charges can be arranged in pale but orientated fesswise as per the example below, with would be blazoned as five pairs of acorns fesswise in pale.

  Arms of Terfens, Austria (Wikimedia)

FESSY
  In heraldry see in fess.

  Flag of Saerbeck, Germany

FICHÉ
  See fitchy.

  Flag of Visselhövede, Germany

FESTIVE BANNER (or FESTIVE FLAG)
  See ceremonial flag 1) (also gonfanon).

  Festive Banner of Barlinek, Poland (source)

FICTIONAL FLAG
  A flag that appears in a work of fiction either visual or written – which may or may not have physical existence as a flag – but which is (entirely or largely) a product of the author’s imagination (see also "fictitious flag" below).

  Flag from the TV Series Starfleet ; Flag of Strackenz from the Movie Royal Flash; Flag of Sulaco from the novel Nostromo

FICTITIOUS FLAG
  A flag – or the illustration of a flag – that purports to represent an actual entity or person, but for which no evidence of any such use by that entity or person exists – a pseudo, spurious or surrogate flag – but see flagoid (also false flag 1), "fictional flag" above, flag of pretence 1) and replica flag).

  Spurious Flag of the Congo from the film Dark of the Sun; Spurious Flag of French Morocco from the film Casablanca; Spurious Soviet Naval Flag from the film K19

FIELD
  1) The whole background or predominant colour of a flag – the ground of a flag.
  2) In heraldry, the surface of a shield upon which charges or bearings are blazoned, or of each separate coat when the shield is quartered or impaled (see also blazon, coat, impale, quarter).

  Flag and Arms of Nova Bukovica, Croatia; Flag of Marija Gorica, Croatia

FIELD FLAG
  1) In US military usage, a larger version of a positional flag designed for hoisting on halyards outdoors under field conditions.
  2) In US military usage, a national flag of approximately the same size flown with the positional field flag.

FIGURED
  The heraldic term for a charge (such as a sun or moon) which has a human countenance – see moon 2) with its following note b) and sun 2).

  Arms of Fenais da Luz, Portugal; Flag of Grabow, Germany; Flag of Eggerberg, Switzerland

FILET
  The heraldic term for a narrow horizontal stripe that is of no specified width, but which is considered to be a diminutive of bar – see bar 1) (also barrulet).

  Please note that the term is sometimes spelt “fillet” but in this form it has a different meaning in English heraldry – see fillet 2) and fillet 3).

FILET CROSS (or FILET SALTIRE)
  The terms sometimes used to describe a plain cross (or saltire) with narrow arms – but see filet and cross 1) (also fillet 1) and fillet 2)).

  Flag and Arms of Zhytomir County, Ukraine; Flag of Freixeda, Portugal

  Please note that the term is sometimes spelt 'fillet' but in this form it has a different meaning in English heraldry – see fillet 2) and fillet 3).

FILLET
  1) A frequent misspelling of the heraldic term filet.
  2) A heraldic term used to describe a second chief placed below that at the top of a shield or banner of arms; it is suggested by some sources that a fillet should have a depth equal to one-fourth of the chief above and by others that it is merely a diminutive of that term.
  3) The term may also be used to describe a narrow headband or plain coronet – see coronet 1).

  Former Flag and Arms of Virovitica-Podravina, Croatia; Flag of Sardinia, Italy

FIMBRIATED TRIBAND
  The term for a triband (either vertical, horizontal or diagonal) where a fimbriation appears between the stripes – see fimbriation 1) and triband 1)).

  Flag of Ferreira Gomes, Brazil; Flag of Itatiaia, Brazil; Flag of Piripiri, Brazil

FIMBRIATED TRICOLOUR/TRICOLOR
  The term for a tricolour (either vertical, horizontal or diagonal) where a fimbriation appears between the stripes – see fimbriation 1) (also multi-stripe with its following note and tricolour 1)).

  National Flag of Saint Vincent 1979–1985; National Flag of Gambia; Flag of Namibia

FIMBRIATION (or FIMBRIATED)
  1) Generically on flags, a (relatively) narrow band or line of contrasting colour separating two areas of the same, similar or differing colour, such as a band, cross, other charge or canton, from its field – see note a) below (also canton 1), edging and border).
  2) Specifically and in heraldry, as above but a narrow band or line placed on a shield, banner of arms or flag in accordance with the rule of tincture – see rule of tincture (also border and multi-stripe)

  Civil Ensign of Saudi Arabia (obverse); Proposed Change to the Flag of Greenland 1973; Flag of Čačinci, Croatia

  Notes:
  a) The use of this term on flags is derived from an application of the heraldic rule of tincture (as referenced in 2) above) which states that (strict usage) two tinctures must be separated by a band of a metal (gold/yellow or silver/white) or two metals by a band of one or other tincture.
  b) A charge may have a double or even triple fimbriation, and if so we suggest that you consult the entry for cotticed and its following note.

FIN FLASH (or MARKING)
  Terms for the national colours (or sometimes the national flag/an emblem therefrom) when painted as a symbol of nationality on the tail plane/fin of largely (but not exclusively) military aircraft – a fin marking or rudder stripes (see also fuselage marking(s), aircraft marking(s), flag emblem, roundel 1), national colours 2), and wing marking(s)).

  Fin Flash of the Royal Australian Air Force; Fin Flash of the Dominican Republic; Fin Flash of the Royal Thai Air Force

FINIAL
  A cast or carved ornament (such as a cross, crescent, crown or spearhead) placed at the top of the flag pole, mast or flag staff above the truck or on the top of a staff – a staff ornament (see also Appendix I, ferrule, pike, staff 2)).

  US Military Finials: President, Navy and Army

FINISHING FLAG
  In British RN usage now obsolete, the flag devised by Captain Sir Home Popham in 1800, and raised to indicate that a signal hoist was complete – see telegraph flag 1).

  Finishing Flag in Popham’s Code

FINNED
  In heraldry the term used if the fins and (possibly) tail of a fish/sea creature is shown in a different tincture from its body.

  Flag of Novotoryalskiy District; Arms of Portsmouth, England; Flag of West Bothnia County, Sweden

FIRE ALERT FLAG
  In largely US usage, a flag with a red field and inscriptions raised in conjunction with a wildfire danger warning by the Forestry Commissions of many states (see also red flag 1)).

  Red Fire Alert Flag of the Oklahoma Forestry Commission, US (CS)

FIRESTEEL
  1) Generically in heraldry, a charge intended to represent the handheld anvil from which a spark is struck.
  2) Specifically In Eastern European heraldry as above but presented as a ‘C’ shaped charge – an ocila or otsila – for example those on the shield in Serbia’s national arms and on the flag of Arandelovac as illustrated below.

  14th century Flag of the Byzantine Empire; Flag of the Serbian Orthodox Church; Flag of Aranđelovac, Serbia

FIRST CANTON (or QUARTER)
  The terms for that quarter of a flag which occupies the upper hoist – the first quarter, upper hoist or upper hoist canton – see canton 1) and canton 3) (also hoist 1)).

FISH
  In heraldry see haurient, naiant and urinant.

  Flag of Illhaeusern, France; Flag of Nordreisa, Norway; Flag of Ponta do Pargo, Portugal

FITCHY (FITCHÉ or FITCHED)
  The alternative heraldic terms that signify pointed, and almost invariably applied to a cross – fiché, fitché or fitched – see cross fitchy.

  Flag of Quinta do Conde, Portugal; Flag of Visselhövede, Germany; Flag of Alcaria Ruiva, Portugal

FIXED
  An alternative heraldic term to throughout.

  Emperor's Standard 1871–1918, Germany

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