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# Dictionary of Vexillology: D (Dolmen – Dutch Colours)

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Last modified: 2026-05-09 by martin karner
Keywords: vexillological terms |
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On this page:

- DOLMEN
- DOMINICAN CROSS
- DOORED
- DOPPELKREUZ
- DOUBLE APPLIQUÉ
- DOUBLE-BEAMED (or DOUBLE-ARMED) CROSS
- DOUBLE BORDER
- DOUBLE COTTICED (or COTISED)
- DOUBLE CROSS
- DOUBLE-FIMBRIATED
- DOUBLE-HEADED
- DOUBLE PAVON (or DOUBLE PENNANT)
- DOUBLE-POINTED
- DOUBLE-PRINCE
- DOUBLE QUEUED
- DOUBLE-SIDED
- DOUBLE-SWALLOWTAIL
- DOUBLE-TAILED
- DOUBLE-TAILED DESCATE
- DOUBLE-TRESSURE
- DOUBLE-TRESSURE FLEURY COUNTER FLEURY
- DOUBLEMOUNT (or DOUBLE MOUNT)
- DOVETAILED
- DRACO
- DRACONARIUS (or DRACONTARIUS)
- DRAGON
- DRAGON FLAG
- DRAPING
- DRAPISTICS
- DRESS FLAG
- DRESS KNOT
- DRESS SHIP, TO
- DRESSED
- DRESSING LINES
- DRESSING OVERALL (or DRESSED OVERALL)
- DRESSING SHIP
- DRIEKLEUR
- DRUM BANNER
- DUTCH COLOURS

DOLMEN
  A type of single chamber Megalithic stone tomb originally (that is before excavation) buried within a mound.

  Flag of Oldendorf upon Luhe, Germany; Flag of Salselas, Portugal; Flag of Mondrôes, Portugal

DOMINICAN CROSS
  A cross fleury gyronny and symbol of the Dominican Order – a cross of the Order of Santo Domingo or of St Dominic – see cross fleury and cross gyronny with its following note (also cross counterchanged).

  Flag of Aldeanueva de Santa Cruz, Spain

DOORED
  A word used in some heraldic blazoning to describe the entrance of a castle, tower or other building, but see port and the note below.

  Flag of Wolhusen, Switzerland

  Please note that, as far as the Editors can discover, this extension of an existing term has no heraldic justification.

DOPPELKREUZ
  See double-beamed cross 2).

  Flag of Degersheim, Switzerland

DOUBLE APPLIQUÉ
  A term that may be used when the appliqué technique is applied to both sides of a flag – see appliqué (also single appliqué).

DOUBLE-BEAMED (or DOUBLE-ARMED) CROSS
  1) See cross of Lorraine.
  2) A less ambiguous interpretation of the German term Doppelkreuz – see double cross 2).

  Flag of Busko-Zdrój county, Poland; Flag of Oberrohrdorf, Switzerland; Flag of Sete de Setembro, Brazil

DOUBLE BORDER
  A term that may be used when a flag has two borders – but see inner border 1) and outer border.

  Former Flag of Vistonida, Greece

DOUBLE COTTICED (or COTISED)
  In heraldry see cotticed 2).

DOUBLE CROSS
  1) See Cross of Lorraine.
  2) A direct translation of the German term Doppelkreuz – but see the note below.
  3) The colloquial term for a treacherous act, and (appropriately) used in one instance to illustrate the charge on a fictitious flag as shown below – see twin saltires.

  Flag and Arms of Skaryszew, Poland; National Flag of the fictitious country Tomania from the film "The Great Dictator"

  Please note regarding 2) that this term is (as may be seen above) slightly ambiguous, and therefore, the Editors suggest use of the phrase “double-armed cross” as being more accurate.

DOUBLE-FIMBRIATED
  See cotticed 1) and its following note (also fimbriated).

  Example; Flag of Rudervereinigung Hellas-Titania, Germany

DOUBLE-HEADED (or DOUBLE HEADED)
  The term used when a bird or a beast (almost invariably an eagle) has two heads – but see bicapsulated.

  National Flag and Arms of Albania; National Flag of Serbia 2004–2011

DOUBLE PAVON (or DOUBLE PENNANT)
  Alternative terms for the shape of the national flag of Nepal, which was apparently created by two pavon-style pennants having been sewn together – see pavon (also pennant).

  National Flag of Nepal; Flag of Kirat, Nepal; Former Princely State of Dewas, India

  Please note regarding the main heading above, that these terms have been introduced by the Editors as a more accurate alternatives to that already introduced.

DOUBLE-POINTED
  A term for the variation of a swallow-tailed flag where a vertical section appears in the centre of the fly, such as that which appears on the state flag of Iceland, the yacht ensign of the Aaland Islands or on various Danish flags – see splitflag and swallow-tail(ed) (also triangular-tongued).

  Danish Flags: State Flag/Naval Ensign, Customs Flag and State Ensign

DOUBLE-PRINCE
  The term for a 17th century Dutch naval flag usually (but not invariably) of six even, horizontal stripes in the Dutch national colours repeated – but see triple-prince (also dreikleur and princeflag).

  From left: Double Prince c1660; With Seven Stripes c1660

  Please note however, whilst all available evidence suggests that red, white and blue were employed, orange instead of red may have been used at an earlier stage.

DOUBLE QUEUED
  The term sometimes used when a lion is showing a split tail, instead of the correct heraldic description queue fourché or fourchée (see also coward, fourché and queued).

  Flag of Martigny, Switzerland; Flag of Sankt Vith, Belgium; Flag of Muttenz, Switzerland

DOUBLE-SIDED
  1) The term used when a flag is made from two separate pieces of cloth placed back to back, either to ensure that the reverse of a flag is not a mirror image of the obverse (as in the National Flag of Saudi Arabia) or (in the case of some military colours and others) is of a different design (see also mirror image, reverse).
  2) See two-sided 1).

  Obverse and Reverse, Colour of The Condor Legion, Spain 1939

DOUBLE-SWALLOWTAIL
  See swallowtail and tongue and triple-tailed 1).

  Flag of the Hirdmarinen 1942–45, Norway; Flag of Dolná Strehová, Slovakia

DOUBLE-TAILED
  1) In heraldry see queue fourché (also double queued).
  2) In vexillology see swallow-tailed).

  Flag of Karlovy Vary Region, Czechia 2004–2011; Flag of Martigny, Switzerland; Flag of Bardejov City, Slovakia

DOUBLE-TAILED DESCATE
  (adj) A term used to describe a fly that is cut into two tails with rounded ends – a cloven bullnose (see also fly, gonfanon, guidon 2), multi-tailed descate, heraldic standard, swallowtail and triple-tailed descate).

  Double-Tailed Descate (CS)

DOUBLE-TRESSURE
  The heraldic term for a double border inset from the edges of a shield, banner of arms or flag – see double-tressure fleury counter fleury.

  Flag of McIlwraith, McEacharn & Co., UK

DOUBLE-TRESSURE FLEURY COUNTER FLEURY
  The heraldic phrase for a decorated, double border inset from the edges of a shield, banner of arms or flag, with a well-known example being that on the royal banner and arms of Scotland – see double tressure (also border, counter-, fleur-de-lis, fleury, inset border and orle).

  Royal Banner of Scotland; Flag of Aberdeen, Scotland; Flag of Horebeke, Belgium

  Please note that the term “tressure” is considered by some heraldic writers to be a diminutive of ‘orle’ but is rarely seen singly – see tressure.

DOUBLEMOUNT (or DOUBLE MOUNT)
  In heraldry see coupeau and mount.

  Arms and Flag of Valverde, Portugal

DOVETAILED
  The heraldic term used to describe the edge of an ordinary, or division line within the arms, that is shaped like the woodworking joint of that name – lambeau (see also embattled).

  Flag of Stordal, Norway; Flag of Wendeburg, Germany; Flag of Etne, Norway

DRACO
  A Late Roman cavalry flag formed like a windsock whose open end was fixed to a dragon’s head with gaping silver jaws (see also draconarius, dragon flag 1)).

  Kingdom of Dacia

DRACONARIUS (or DRACONTARIUS)
  A bearer of the draco.

  (Wikipedia)

DRAGON
  In heraldry and vexillology, a generic term for an often (but not invariably) winged mythological creature that is sometimes shown breathing fire – but see wingless dragon and the note below (also dragon flag and heraldic beasts).

  Flag of Wessex, UK; Flag of Somerset, UK; Flag of Stjørdal, Norway

  Please note that the strict rules (in both English and Continental European heraldry) regarding use of this term are often not observed, and that it can cover a wide variety of mythological creatures – a basilisk, cockatrice, lindworm or wyvern, etc. – with the exactly defined distinctions between them often (officially) ignored.

DRAGON FLAG
  1) A pre-heraldic flag similar to the Roman Draco formed like a windsock, with a dragon's head/shape, and possibly having a whistling tube within it – see draco (also dragon, standard 6)).
  2) See imperial dragon flag.

  Chinese Imperial Dragon Flag c1890

  Please note with regard to 1), it is suggested by some authorities that the main standard used by the Saxons at the Battle of Hastings (in 1066) was of this type.

DRAPING
  (v) The decoration of a staff with a black cravat or long black ribbons (particularly but not exclusively on flags that cannot be half-masted) as a sign of mourning – a mourning ribbon – but see cravat 2) (also cravat 1, staff 2)).

  National Flag of Spain Draped with a Mourning Ribbon

DRAPISTICS
  An alternative term, proposed but never adopted, for the study of flags – see vexillology.

DRESS FLAG
  See indoor flag.

  Dress/Indoor Flag of the Secretary of the Army, US

DRESS KNOT
  A decorative knot of cord (occasionally leather), possibly displaying the national colours or braided in gold/silver with or without contrasting thread, and attached to the sword – a port epee or sword knot (see also aiguillette).

  Officer’s Dress Knot, USN and USCG (marlowwhite.com)

  Please note that the dress or sword knot is a decorative reminder of the lanyard, which in this instance ran from a sword’s guard to its user’s wrist, and could be worn (particularly, but not exclusively, by officers of the navy or cavalry) in order to prevent any loss during combat.

DRESS SHIP, TO
  1) (v) Generally, the practice of decorating a naval vessel for special occasions, such as national days, whilst berthed alongside or at anchor, by stringing dressing lines between the masts (and down to the ensign staffs and jack staff), and with national flags at the mastheads – dressing ship, dressing overall or full dressing (see also dressing lines).
  2) (v) Specifically, in US naval usage, the practice of decorating a warship during lesser commemorative occasions, whilst berthed alongside or at anchor, by displaying the ensign and jack together with an ensign at each masthead, but without the dressing lines – but see dressing overall 2) (see also "naval ensign" under ensign and "naval jack" under jack).
  3) (v) Specifically in British Royal Navy and some other naval usage, the practice of decorating a warship with jack, ensign and masthead flags/ensign(s) but without the dressing lines, when underway within sight of a port or anchorage during dress ship occasions – but see dressing overall 3).
  4) (v) The practice of merchant vessels (especially passenger liners) and yachts to decorate themselves with strings of dressing lines on special occasions such as maiden voyage departure and arrival, or on other occasions ordered by the shipping company or club.

  Notes
  a) Warships not directly involved in the occasion being celebrated, but who are berthed in the presence or in sight of ships that are, will also dress as a courtesy according to the local practice, using the ensign or national flag of the celebrant at the main masthead in lieu of their own ensign or national flag.
  b) This is a continuation of the earlier maritime practice (dating from at least the 16th century) of hanging out every flag available by way of celebration, but that in modern navies and some merchant marine companies both the occasions for display and the make-up of dressing lines is strictly regulated (with this last being confined to signal flags only).

DRESSED
  1) In heraldry see garnished, clad, habited and vested.
  2) In vexillology see dress ship, to.

  Flag of Münchenwiler, Switzerland; Flag of Cabanas de Tavira, Portugal; Flag of Rieden, Switzerland

DRESSING LINES
  Signal flags and pennants made up in decorative strings according to the size and configuration of ship they are to be used on and also according to ordered patterns laid down by naval authorities in the case of warships, or commercial companies in the case of merchant vessels – rainbow lines – see dressing overall (also dress ship, to 1) and dress ship, to 4)).

DRESSING OVERALL (or DRESSED OVERALL)
  1) See dress ship, to 1) and dress ship, to 4).
  2) (v or adj) In US naval usage the practice of decorating a vessel for major commemorative occasions, whilst berthed alongside or at anchor, by stringing dressing lines between the masts (and down to the ensign and jack staffs), and with a jack and ensign at the bow and stern, and national flags at the mastheads – but see dress ship 2).
  3) (v or adj) In British Royal Navy and some other usage decorating a vessel for commemorative occasions, whilst berthed alongside or at anchor, by stringing dressing lines between the masts (and down to the ensign and jack staffs), and with a jack and ensign at the bow and stern, and national flags at the mastheads – but see dress ship 3).

  A Warship of the South African Navy Dressed Overall (Andries Burgers)

DRESSING SHIP
  See dress ship, to 1) and dress ship, to 4).

DRIEKLEUR
  The national flag of The Netherlands – see tricolour 2) (also double prince, Dutch colours 1), princeflag and and triple prince).

  National Flag of The Netherlands

DRUM BANNER
  See bannerette and war banner.

DUTCH COLOURS
  1) The term used when the colours and/or design of a flag is (or was) based upon the Dutch driekleur and/or princeflag.
  2) See pan-Slavic colours with its following note.
  3) See colours 2).

  Flag of The Transvaal 1857–1902; Flag of The Orange Free State 1856–1902; National Flag of South Africa 1928–1994.

  Please note with regard to 2, that (despite the inclusion of orange) some sources list these with the pan-Slavic colours.

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