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# Dictionary of Vexillology: B (Braced – Brunatre)

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Last modified: 2026-05-02 by martin karner
Keywords: vexillological terms |
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- BRACED (or BRASED)
- BRACELET
- BRAG FLAGS
- BRANCH OF SERVICE FLAG
- BREADTH
- BREAK A FLAG (BREAK OUT A FLAG or BREAKING)
- BRETESSED
- BRITISH-STYLE ENSIGN
- BRITISH COLOUR CODES (BRITISH COLOUR COUNCIL REFERENCE CODE or BCC)
- BRITISH (or BRITAIN) FLAG
- BROAD COMMAND PENNANT
- BROAD PENNANT (or PENDANT)
- BROD
- BROKEN CROSS
- BRUNATRE

BRACED (or BRASED)
  Alternative terms to interlaced.

  Flag of the Panceltic Movement

BRACELET
  An alternative heraldic term to barrulet.

  Flag of Água Retorta, Portugal

BRAG FLAGS
  In largely US usage, the colloquial term for a collection of local flags, often (but not invariably) unofficial flags, that has been amassed by the owners of pleasure vessels to indicate the number of ports visited – a type of souvenir flag.

BRANCH OF SERVICE FLAG
  1) Generically, one of those flags pertaining to a particular branch within the armed services – an air force flag, army flag, navy flag, flag of the marine corps or similar (see also armed services flag).
  2) Specifically in US military usage, as above but the term may also include the flags of each specialization within a particular branch – for example the flag of the Engineering Corps.

  Navy Flag, US; Army Flag, UK; HQ Flag of the Royal Marines, UK

BREADTH
  1) Generically see width.
  2) Specifically in now largely (if not entirely) obsolete British Royal Navy usage, a term for indicating the width of flags – see the notes below (also bunting 1)).

  Ensign of 20 Breadths x 11 yards (33 feet or 10.10 m), 1707; Ensign of 18 Breadths x 8 yards (24 feet or 7.20 m), 1742; Ensign of 23 Breadths x 34 feet (10.40 m) 1822*, UK (CS)

  * The unique survival of a late-eighteenth century ensign confirms that the width of a breadth had altered in the years prior to 1800, however, we have no (available) official evidence of this undoubted change until a dockyard inventory of over twenty years later (1822).

  Notes
  a) With regard to 2) this term describes one half of the width of bunting formerly employed in manufacture/calculation, with the width of such flags being expressed as a multiple of the number of breadths used.
  b) The width of a breadth was recorded as being 11" (27.94 cm) in 1687, had become 10" (25.41 cm) by 1742, and had shrunk to its present size of 9" (22.84 cm) by the end of the 18th century, with half a yard (18" or 45.72 cm) of fabric being used per breath employed thus giving a ratio of 11:18 in 1687, 5:9 in 1742 and 1:2 by 1800.

BREAK A FLAG (BREAK OUT A FLAG or BREAKING)
  (v) To unfurl a flag that has been hoisted folded and rolled up in such a manner that a sharp tug at the halyard will cause it to fly free (see also furl).

  Please note the above is often used to mark the beginning of an event or the arrival of a VIP.

BRETESSED
  An alternative heraldic term to embattled.

  Flag of Koprivnica, Croatia; Flag of La Mézière, France; Flag of Tržič, Slovenia

BRITISH-STYLE ENSIGN
  See blue ensign 3), red ensign 3) and white ensign 3) (also canton flag and ensign).

  Government Ensign of Malaysia; Naval Ensign of Myanmar 1947–1974; Civil Ensign of New Zealand

BRITISH COLOUR CODES (BRITISH COLOUR COUNCIL REFERENCE CODE or BCC)
  A now largely obsolete standard numeral colour code for cloth and flags established by Britain, and first published in 1934 (see also pantone matching system).

BRITISH (or BRITAIN) FLAG
  The original names for the 1606 pattern British union flag – the Britain flag or flag of Britain – but see his majesty’s jack (also interlaced, james union and union jack).

  Union Flag 1606–1801, UK

  Please note, evidence suggests that the terms British and Britain flag or flag of Britain ceased in official use after 1639.

BROAD COMMAND PENNANT
  In US naval usage now increasingly (if not entirely) obsolete, a pennant thatis flown at the main masthead in place of the commission (or masthead) pennant to indicate the presence on board of an officer commanding a force, group or squadron of vessels (or carrier air wing), and who has authority over any officer flying a burgee command pennant, but who has not reached flag rank – see burgee command pennant (also broad pennant 1) with its following note, command pennant, flag officer 1) and masthead pennant).

  Broad Command Pennant, US (seaflags.us)

  Please note however, that the US practice of displacing the commission (or masthead) pennant by the burgee or the broad command pennants differs from general naval practice where the various command pennants (excepting the broad pennant) are usually (but not invariably) flown in addition and subordinate to the masthead pennant.

BROAD PENNANT (or PENDANT)
  1) Generically, a shorter and broader form of the masthead pennant, the fly of which is cut into a swallowtail – a triangular or tapered swallowtail.
  2) Specifically in British RN and some other usage, a pennant as in 1) above that is flown at the main masthead in place of the commissioning (or masthead) pennant to indicate the presence on board of an officer with the rank of Commodore (see also broad command pennant, burgee command pennant, flag of command and masthead pennant 1)).
  3) In civil maritime usage, as 1) above (and often patterned after the relevant club burgee), a broad pennant is sometimes flown by the commodore and vice-commodore of a yacht or boating club – an officer’s, flag officer or yacht officer's broad pennant – but see officer’s flags and officer’s pennants (also burgee and deface).
  4) A (usually) longer version of 1) above, sometimes with rounded points (or a lanceolate fly) and flown from the main masthead to mark the presence aboard ship of a head of state or member of a royal family – a royal or monarch’s broad pennant and others (see also lanceolate and royal masthead pennant).

  Flag of Ohio, US; Commodore’s Broad Pennant, Norway; Orange Lake Ice Yacht Club, US

  Please note, that in the US Navy and some others the rank of commodore – to which the broad pennant belongs – has been superseded by that of rear admiral (lower half) and the pennant accordingly replaced by an appropriate flag of command (see also broad command pennant, flag of command 1) and in abeyance).

BROD
  A Scottish term, now obsolete, for a flag hanging from a crossbar – a gonfalon.

BROKEN CROSS
  See swastika.

  Former House Flag of The Iceland Steamship Co Ltd 1914–c1943

BRUNATRE
  A heraldic term for the colour brown (see also mixed tinctures).

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