passant
/ˈpas(ə)nt
/adjective [usually postpositive] Heraldry
(Of an animal) represented as walking, with the right front foot raised. The animal is depicted in profile facing the dexter side with the tail raised, unless otherwise specified (e.g. as ‘passant guardant’).It has three gold lions on a red background, walking with their heads turned to face out from the shield, or, in heraldic language ‘Gules, three lions passant guardant in pale Or.’...
- This design is blazoned as ‘Gules, three lions passant guardant in pale Or,’ and it is still the coat of arms of England today.
- It is therefore important when examining a slaver on foot to see that it is struck with the obligatory lion passant or leopard's head erased mark.
Origin
Late Middle English: from Old French, literally 'proceeding', present participle of passer.
Rhymes
- polymorphous perversity
- polymorph-perverse
- polymorphy
- polymyalgia
- polymyalgia rheumatica
- polymyarian
- polymyodian
- polymyositis
- polymyxin
- polynemid
- Polynesia
- Polynesian
- polynesic
- polyneuritic
- polyneuritis
- polyneuropathy
- polynoid
- polynom
- polynome
- polynomial
- polynomially
- polynomial time
- polynomic
- polynosic
- polynuclear