Here is a compiled list of terms to help you understand some of the terminology used in heraldry.

Achievement = The full armorial bearings of an armiger such as the shield, crest, helm, wreath, mantling, motto, and supporters.

Addorsed = Placed back to back

Affronty = Facing the viewer

Appaumy = With the palm of the hand facing the viewer

Argent =  color white or silver

Armed = Toothed, tusked, horned, or clawed

Armiger = One who is entitled to armorial bearings

Attired = Antlered such as with stags

Augmentation = An additional charge granted as a mark of honor

Azure = Blue

Bar = A horizontal band, a diminutive of the fess

Barbed = Having small leaves appearing between the petals of an open rose; also with a sharp head such as an arrow

Barry = An even series of horizontal bands

Baton = A bend couped or cut off at both ends

Bend = A diagonal band running from the dexter (the right) chief to the sinister (the left) base

Bendlet = A diminutive of the bend

Bendy = An even series of bends

Bezant = A gold roundel

Billet = A rectangle

Blazon = The technical language describing armorial bearings

Bleu celeste = Sky blue

Bordure = A border

Caboshed = An animal's head affronty without any neck

Cadency marks = Non-obligatory small devices added to distinguish junior members of a family

Cantons = A square in one of the upper corners of the arms

Checky/chequy =  Composed of small adjoining squares

Chevron = A broad inverted V

Chevronel = A diminutive of the chevron

Chevronny = An even series of chevronels

Chief = A braod horizontal band at the top of the shield

Close = Wings folded

Colors = The principle colors are azure (blue), gules (red), sable (black), and vert (green).  The less frequently used colors are blue celeste (sky blue), purpure (purple), murrey (dark red), and tenne (orange).  Murrey and tenne are sometimes termed as stains.  Yellow is gold and white is silver, which are also often used.

Combatant = Two rampant creatures facing each other

Compartment = A grassy mount or solid base on which supporters stand

Compony/gobony = A single row of squares of alternate tinctures

Cotise = The smallest dinimutive of the bend, fess, cross, chevron, etc. and borne on either side of the same.

Couchant = A creature lying down with its head held up

Couterchanged = A field divided between two different tinctures and having charges superimposed with these tinctures reversed

Couped = Cut off cleanly at the base

Courant = Running

Coward = With tail between legs

Crosslet = A cross with each limb crossed again

Cruisily = Strewn with crosslets

Dancetty zigzag = Said of a two sided charge such as a fess with offset indentations on each side so that it 'dances'.  Sometimes but erroneously used as a shallow variety of indented.

Dexter = The right side.  When applied to a shield it refers to that part which would be on the right side of the bearer and thus the left side as viewed from the front.

Diapering = Decorative patterning on uncharged areas of the shield executed in the same tincture

Dimidiation = The cutting of two coats of arms in half and placing them together to form a single shield.  Also applied to two charges treated in the same way.

Displayed = Wings outstretched and sweeping upwards

Dormant = Sleeping

Doubled = Lined when applied to mantling

Emanchy = A zigzag line or partition with acute angles

Embowed = Bent at the elbow

Embrued = Blood at the point

Enfile = To thread

Engrailed = Indented in a series of curves, points outwards

Ensigned = Having another charge placed above

Erased = Jaggedly cut or torn off at the base

Ermine = White with black ermine spots

Ermines = Black with white spots

Escutcheon = A small shield.  When a blank escutcheon is charged on arms it indicates a married woman, the arms being her own.

Fess = A broad horizontal band running across the center of the shield

Field = The basic surface of the shield on which the charges are placed.

Fimbriated = Edged

Fitchy = Terminating in a point, usually applied to the lower limb of a cross

Flaunch = A convex segment issuing from the side of the shield

Flory = Terminating in fleur-de-lis

Formy = Splayed, usually applied to the limb of a cross

Forcene = Rearing up when applied to horse

Fountain = A roundel composed of wavy bars in white and blue

Fourchy = Forked, normally applied to the tails of animals

Fret = A mascle interlaced with a saltire

Fructed = A tree or plant bearing fruit

Fusil = An elongated lozenge

Gamb = A paw

Gorged = Collared

Goutte = A droplet

Guardant = An animal with body in profile and head facing the viewer

Gules = Red

Gyronny = A series of division lines emanating from a central point to create triangular pieces or gyrons

Hatching = A system for identifying tinctures in monochrome by a series of dots and lines

Hauriant = Placed vertically with head upwards, applied to fish

Hurt = A blue roundel

Impale = To place two coats of arms side by side on a single shield for husband and wife or for office and office-holder

Indented = A zigzag line of partition; when applied to a charge with two sides such a fess the indentations are opposite each other

Invected = A line of partition with a series of curves pointed inwards

Issuant = Issuing from

Jessant de lis = With a fleur-de-lis issuing from an object, usually applied to an animals head

Label = A narrow horizontal strip across the top of the shield with three or five tags pendant from it, usually found as a mark of cadency for the eldest son during his father's lifetime

Langued = Tongued

Lodged = Deer when couchant -  for example lying down with head up

Lozenge = A diamond shape.  When a small blank lozenge is charged on a sheild it denotes the arms of a married woman, the arms being those of her husband.

Mantling = The stylized cloak or mantle hanging from the helm

Marshal = To combine coats of arms on a single shield

Mascle = A voided diamond shape.  When a single small mascle is found on a shield it denotes a divorced woman.

Metals = Gold or (Or) and silver or white (Argent)

Moline = Terminating in two outward-curving points

Murrey = Dark red

Naiant = Swimming horizontally

Nebuly = A wavy division line where the waves take the form of nodules

Nowed = Tied in the form of a knot when applied to snakes or tails of animals

Nowy = A cross with a large circular center

Ogress = A black roundel or pellet

Or = yellow or gold

Ordinary = Any one of the major geometrical charges.  Also a systematic collection of armorials arranged according to the charges therin.

Orle = A band following the outline of the shield but set away from the edge

Pairle = A division in the form of a Y

Pale = A vertical band running down the center of a shield

Pall = A Y shape

Passant = Walking on all fours in profile

Paty = Splayed and flory formation, usually applied to the limbs of a cross

Pean = Black with gold ermine spots

Pellet = A black roundel or ogress

Pile = A triangular shape issuing from the top, base, or sides of a shield

Plate = A white roundel

Pomme - A green roundel

Potent = Crossed at the end like the hand of a crutch

Proper = In natural colors

Purpure = Purple

Quadrate = A cross with an enlarged square center

Quarter = To divide the shield into four or more pieces of equal size

Queue = The tail of a creature

Rampant = A creature standing erect on one hind leg - prancing

Reguardant = Looking backwards over the shoulder

Roundel = A circular disk

Sable = Black

Salient = Leaping with both hind legs lowered

Saltire = A cross in the form of an X

Segreant = Rampant when applied to gryphons

Sejant = sitting

Semy = Strewn or powdered

Sinister = The left hand side

Slipped = Stalked

Statant = Standing

Tenne = Orange

Tinctures = The metals, colors, and furs

Torse = The crest wreath, normally depicted with six visible twists

Torteau = A red roundel

Tressure = A diminutive of the orle

Trick = To indicate tinctures in uncolored armorial bearings by written abbreviations

Trippant = Passant when applied to deer

Undy = Wavy

Urinant = Placed vertically with head downwards - applied to fish

Vair = Black and belly squirrel skins stitched together

Vert = Green

Voided = With the center removed following the outline of the charge

Volant = Flying