define heraldry
(See Roll of arms). Heraldry (/ˈhɛrəldri/) is a broad term, encompassing the design, display, and study of armorial bearings (known as armory), as well as related disciplines, such as vexillology, together with the study of ceremony, rank, and pedigree.
Joseph C. Wolf. Curator Emeritus, Local and Family History Collections, Newberry Library, Chicago, Illinois. Historically, heraldry began as a mark of identification in social intercourse and found its full flowering as a useful art in the Middle Ages, when it came to be used to distinguish the warriors on the battlefield.