Couped

Couped

Couped, or Coupy, (fr. alaisé), cut off in a straight line, as in often the case with the heads and limbs of animals, and so distinguished form erased[see example under Boar]. It is important to say where a head or limbs is couped; for instance, if couped close it would signify cut off close to the head. A hand is often said to be couped at the wrist.

The word couped is sometimes applied to the extremities of ordinaries, but they are more often said to be humetté or alesé.

Per fesse sable and or, a tree couped and eradicated counterchanged--BUCHER,

Azure, a dexter hand couped at the wrist argent--BROME, co. Salop.

Couped-fitchy is an expression used to signify that the cutting is not by a clean straight stroke, but that a point is left projecting.

Heraldic writers say that an ordinary when blazoned couped and voided would differ essentially from the same ordinary blazoned voided and couped; but as no examples are given shewing that the difference exists in fact, it is hardly necessary to lay it drawn as a rule.

The French coupé has a distinct meaning, and is frequently employed to signify the partition of the shield horizontally into two equal parts. English heralds would describe the same as party per fesse.