Pierced

Pierced

Pierced, (fr. percé): applied to any bearing which is perforated, the tincture of the field or charged on which it is placed being seen through the aperture, (fr. ajouré). If a different tincture be seen it should be blazoned as voided. See e.g. examples under Mullet.

As to the form of the aperture it is doubtful as regards the ancient arms whether it should be circular, or should follow the outline of the charge. In modern arms pierced implies a circular aperture, though Crosses are sometimes square pierced, and lozenge pierced. See §9, and §5; and voided is used when the aperture follows the outline.

Pierced with an arrow generally means the same as transfixed. A singular, and perhaps single, instance of an ordinary piercing or perforating another is:--

Or, chevron gules pierced with[or perforated by] a bend ermine[otherwise a bend ermine perforating a chevron gules]--HODSTOKE, or HADSTOCK, Suffolk.