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Dictionary of Vexillology: U (Uma-Jirushi - US Executive Order)

On this page:

UMA-JIRUSHI
UNCASE(D)
UNDEFACED
UNDULATING
UNDY (or UNDE)
UNEQUAL BICOLOUR (or UNEVEN BICOLOUR)
UNEQUAL TRIBAND (or UNEVEN TRIBAND)
UNEQUAL TRICOLOUR (or UNEVEN TRICOLOUR)
UNFURL(ED)
UNGULED
UNICOLOUR/UNICOLOURED (or UNICOLOUR/UNICOLORED)
UNICORN
UNION, THE
UNION FLAG
UNION JACK
UNION MARK
UNION PENDANT
UNION PENNANT (UNION VIMPEL or WIMPEL)
UNION STANDARD
UNIQUE FLAG (or UNIQUE EXAMPLE)
UNIT COLOUR (or COLOR)
UNIT DESIGNATION
UNIT FLAG
UNOFFICIAL FLAG
UNREP (UNDERWAY REPLENISHMENT) FLAG
UPPER FLY (or UPPER FLY CANTON)
UPPER HOIST (or UPPER HOIST CANTON)
UPRIGHT
UPRIGHT CENTRED CROSS
UPRIGHT PALL
UPRIGHT PILE
UPRIGHT TRIANGLE
UPROOTED
URBAN CROWN
URDY (or URDÉ)
URINANT
US EXECUTIVE ORDER

UMA-JIRUSHI

See ‘Daimyo flags 1)’ and its following notes.

Uma Jirushi/Personal Flag of Houjou Ujiyasu 1516 – 1571, Japan (fotw)

UNCASE(D)

1) (v) To remove a regimental, unit, service or national colour (or occasionally a parade flag), usually with the appropriate ceremony, from its protective case (see also ‘case(d)’ and ‘dislodging’).
2) (adj) The term used when a regimental, unit or national colour (or occasionally a parade flag) has been removed from its case (see also ‘parade flag 2)’ and ‘unfurl(ed)’).

UNDEFACED

(adj) The term used to describe a flag which may (and sometimes does) carry authorized additions, but in this case is seen without any such additions – see ‘defaced’ (also ‘blue ensign’, ‘red ensign’ and ‘template flag’).

Reserve Ensign, UK (fotw); Reserve Ensign, India (fotw); Reserve Ensign, Sri Lanka (fotw)

UNDULATING

In heraldry see ‘wavy’.

Flag of Amur, Russia (fotw)

UNDY (or UNDE)

Alternative heraldic terms for wavy - see ‘wavy’ (also ‘nebuly’).

Flag of L’Aldea, Spain (fotw)

UNEQUAL BICOLOUR (or UNEVEN BICOLOUR)

Alternative terms that may be used when a bicolour is composed of stripes whose widths are not equal – but see ‘bicolor 1)’.

Ground Forces Flag, China (fotw); National Flag of Portugal (fotw); National Flag of Belarus (fotw)

UNEQUAL TRIBAND (or UNEVEN TRIBAND)

Alternative terms that may be used when a triband is composed of stripes whose widths are not equal – but see the note below and ‘triband 1)’ with its following note b) (also ‘Canadian pale’, ‘Spanish-style triband’ and ‘unequal tricolor’ below).

National Flag of Laos (fotw); Flag of Kensington, Canada (fotw); Flag of Albrechtice nad Orlicí, Czechia (fotw)

Please note that a triband having a single stripe which is narrower than one-third of its width (as on that of the Armenian SSR illustrated below) may also (and perhaps should) be considered as a plain flag bearing such a stripe.

Flag of the Armenian SSR 1952 – 1991 (fotw)

UNEQUAL TRICOLOUR (or UNEVEN TRICOLOUR)

Alternative terms that may be used when a tricolour is composed of stripes whose widths are not equal – but see ‘tricolour 1)’ and its note c) following (also ‘unequal triband’ above).

Civil Flag of Ecuador (fotw); Flag of Albrechtičky, Czech Republic (fotw); Flag of Charqueadas, Brazil (fotw)

UNFURL(ED)

1) (v & adj) Generically, to hoist, break out or show (or to have hoisted, broken out or shown) a flag (or flags) that have not been displayed until that moment (see also ‘break a flag’ and ‘hoist 3)’).

2) (v & adj) To unwind (or to have completed the unwinding of) a colour or parade flag from its staff after it has been uncased (see also ‘colour 2)’, ‘furl(ed)’, ‘parade flag 2)’ and ‘uncase(d)’).

UNGULED

In heraldry a term that covers the nails, claws talons or hoofs of birds/beasts, and is used only when these are of a different tincture from its body (see also ‘armed’, ‘armed and langued’, ‘membered’ and ‘tincture’).

Flag of Saverne, France (fotw); Arms of South Yorkshire County Council, UK (fotw); Flag Schaffhausen, Switzerland (fotw)

UNICOLOUR/UNICOLOURED (or UNICOLOUR/UNICOLORED)

See ‘monocolour’.

National flag of Libya 1977 - 2011 (fotw); Flag of Partido de la Sierra en Tobalina, Spain (fotw)

UNICORN

See ‘heraldic beasts’

Arms and Flag of Nova Bukovica, Croatia (fotw)

UNION, THE

1) Specifically in US usage, the canton of the US national flag - i.e. 13 - 50 white stars on a blue field (see also ’stars and stripes’, ‘union jack 3)’ and ‘union mark’).

2) Generically, see ‘canton 2)’ (also ‘union mark’).

Canton of the National Flag/National Jack, US (fotw); National Flag of Anguilla (fotw)

UNION FLAG

1) Specifically in UK usage, a precise term for the British national flag when flown on land – but see ‘union jack 1)’ and ‘union jack 2)’ below.

2) Generically, the term that may be used when a flag symbolizes the political or economic union of two or more previously independent countries – for example those of the United Arab Emirates, Malaysia (as illustrated below) or Tanzania (see also ‘union mark’).

National Flag of the United Kingdom (fotw); National Flag of Malaysia (fotw)

UNION JACK

1) A general and officially recognized term for the British national flag whether flown on land or sea – but see ‘union flag 1)’ and ‘union jack 2)’ (also (also ‘British flag’, ‘gore‘, ‘great union‘, ‘interlaced’, ‘James union’, ‘national flag’, St Andrew's Cross 2)’, St George's Cross 2)’, St Patrick's Cross’ and ‘union mark’).

2) In UK usage, a precise term for the British national flag when flown as a jack from the bows of a British warship, from a yardarm to signal that a court martial is being held, or at the main masthead as the command flag of an Admiral of the Fleet - see ‘union flag 1)’ (see also ‘flag of command’, ‘His Majesty’s Jack’. ‘jack’ and ‘naval jack’ under ‘jack’, ‘masthead’ and ‘yardarm’).

3) In US usage, the official term for the traditional US national jack, which is the canton from the national flag (see also ‘union, the’).

Union Jack 1606 – 1801, England/UK (fotw); National Jack 1795 – 1818, US (fotw)

Notes
a) The British national flag is legally (when undefaced) restricted to naval vessels whilst flown afloat (see also 'civil jack', 'government jack' and 'naval jack' under 'jack', 'pilot jack' and 'undefaced').
b) US merchant vessels are not forbidden by regulation to wear the union jack as described in 3) above, but (as far as can be discovered) they do not do so.

UNION MARK

A symbol expressing the unification of two or more countries - such as that of the European Union or the former Norwegian-Swedish Union Mark - either employed alone or as an additional charge on a flag (see also ‘charge’, ‘conjoined’, ‘interlaced’, ‘union’, ‘union flag’ and ‘union jack’ above).

Norway-Sweden Union Mark and Naval Jack 1844 – 1905 (fotw); Flag of the EU (fotw); Royal flag of Sweden 1844 - 1905

UNION PENDANT

1. See ‘budgee pendant’.
2. In English usage now obsolete, a term originally used to also describe what later became the common or tricolour pendant – see ‘common pendant’ (also ‘pendant’).

The Union/Budgee Pendant c1700, UK

UNION PENNANT (UNION VIMPEL or WIMPEL)

1. In UK usage, the terms employed to describe a trapezoidal pennant with a union at its hoist and a tricolour fly, which may be flown where a flagpole would otherwise be unused – a Union wimple or vimpel (see also ‘English pennant’, ‘hoist 1)’, ‘pennant’, ‘Scottish pennant’, ‘trapezoid 2)’, ‘tricolour’, ‘Welsh pennant’ and ‘wimpel 1)’).

Union Pennant (Bartram)

UNION STANDARD

In British military usage, a term for one of three such standards each carried by the Life Guards and the Blues and Royals - the Household cavalry - and the equivalent of a normal cavalry guidon or infantry colour (see also 'colour 2)', 'colours 2)' and ‘guidon 2)’ and ‘sovereign's standard’).

Reverse of The Union Standard of the Blues and Royals, UK (householdcavalry info)

Please note that the Blues and Royals (unlike the Life Guards) also carry a guidon in addition to the sovereign’s and union standards due to their amalgamation with the Royal Dragoons in 1969.

UNIQUE FLAG (or UNIQUE EXAMPLE)

A flag intended in design and usage, to be the only one of its type.

Main Banner of German Athletics Union 1880 (fotw)

Please note that in East and Central European usage the ceremonial flag of a community is often created as a unique flag – see ‘ceremonial flag 2)’.

UNIT COLOUR (or COLOR)

See ‘colour 2)’ and ‘colours 2)’.

Unit Colour of the 2nd Army Corps, 2nd Support Brigade, Greece (fotw)

UNIT DESIGNATION

The inscription on a colour that indicates the military group to which it belongs (see also ‘colour 2)’.

Colour of the 103rd Field Artillery with Unit Designation, US (fotw)

UNIT FLAG

1) See ‘camp flag’.

2) See ‘branch of service flag 2)’.

Unit/Camp Flag of The Royal Army Medical Corps, UK (Graham Bartram); Unit/Branch of Service Flag of The Transportation Service, US (fotw)

UNOFFICIAL FLAG

A flag that has (or had) not been formally adopted by the relevant authority, but is (or has been) sold commercially, or exhibited by supporters or enthusiasts as representing a particular entity, institution or cause, as opposed to a design or type which is so authorized or for which there is (or has been) no authorized design – see ‘official flag 1)’ (also ‘de facto 2)’, ‘folk flag’ and ‘institutional flags (unofficial)’.

Unofficial Flag of Palmyra Atoll, US (fotw); Unofficial Flag of Da Nang City, Vietnam (fotw); Unofficial Flag of the Sami People, Norway (fotw)

UNREP (UNDERWAY REPLENISHMENT) FLAG

See ‘battle flag 2)’.

Unofficial Flag of USS Elliot (Sea Flags)

UPPER FLY (or UPPER FLY CANTON)

In vexillology alternative terms for that quarter of a flag which occupies the upper fly - the second canton or quarter, or the upper fly canton (see also ‘canton 3)’ and ‘fly 1)’).

UPPER HOIST (or UPPER HOIST CANTON)

In vexillology alternative terms for that quarter of a flag which occupies the upper hoist, the canton - the first canton or quarter, or the upper hoist canton (see also ‘canton 1)’, ‘canton 3)’ and ‘hoist 1)’).

UPRIGHT

1) On flags a term which may be used when a charge or charges, that are more usually placed horizontally or diagonally, are shown with a vertical orientation (see also ‘pall’ and ‘pile’).

2) In heraldry a term that may be applied (in place of rampant or its equivalent) to the orientation of charges representing crustaceans or reptiles.

Flag and Arms of Rakovica, Croatia (fotw); Fuehrer’s Standard 1935 – 1945, Germany (fotw)

UPRIGHT CENTRED CROSS

See ‘cross 1)’.

Flag of Smiltene, Latvia (fotw)

UPRIGHT PALL

See ‘pall 1)’.

Flag of Arilje, Serbia (fotw)

UPRIGHT PILE

See ‘pile 1)’.

Flag of Merida, Venezuela (fotw)

UPRIGHT TRIANGLE

See ‘triangle 2)’.

Flag of Minas Gerais, Brazil (fotw)

UPROOTED

In heraldry see ‘eradicated’.

Arms and Flag of Bukovany, Czechia (fotw)

URBAN CROWN

See ‘mural crown 1)’.

Flag of Cherbourg, France (fotw)

URDY (or URDÉ)

The heraldic terms used when the division line on a shield (or any quartering thereof), or the edge of an ordinary is cut into a series of bell-like projections - a vair moulding – see ‘vair’ (also ‘ordinary’ and ‘shield’

Flag of Sřgne, Norway (fotw); Flag of Skaun, Norway (fotw)

URINANT