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

Last modified: 2024-09-14 by rob raeside
Keywords: vexillological terms |
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UMA-JIRUSHI
See ‘Daimyo flags 1)’ and its following notes.

Uma Jirushi
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’).

undefaced example undefaced example defaced example
Reserve Ensign, UK (fotw); Reserve Ensign, India (fotw); Reserve Ensign, Sri Lanka (fotw)

UNDULATING
In heraldry see ‘wavy’.

undulating
Flag of Amur, Russia (fotw)

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

undy example
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)’.

unequal bicolour example unequal bicolour example unequal bicolour example
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 Kensington PEI unequal triband
National Flag of Laos (fotw); Flag of Kensington, Canada (fotw); Flag of Albrechtice nad Orlicν, 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.

Armenian SSR
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).

Ecuador Albrechticky, Czechia Charqueadas, Brazil
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’).

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

UNICOLOUR/UNICOLOURED (or UNICOLOUR/UNICOLORED)
See ‘monocolour’.

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

UNICORN
See ‘heraldic beasts’

[unicorn] [unicorn]
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’).

[Jacks - US] [Anguilla]
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’).

union flag example union flag example
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’).

[Jacks - United Kingdom] [Jacks - US]
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] [Norway-Sweden Union Mark] [Norway-Sweden Union Mark]
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’).

[Union 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]
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’).

[union 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.

[Unique Flag]
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 Flag]
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)’.

[Unit Designation]
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 Colour] [Unit Colour]
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] [unofficial flag] [unofficial flag]
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)’.

[unrep flag]
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 fly]

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)’).

[upper hoist]

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.

[triangular heart shield] [triangular heart shield] [upright swastika]
Flag and Arms of Rakovica, Croatia (fotw); Fuehrer’s Standard 1935 – 1945, Germany (fotw)

UPRIGHT CENTRED CROSS
See ‘cross 1)’.

[upright centred cross]
Flag of Smiltene, Latvia (fotw)

UPRIGHT PALL
See ‘pall 1)’.

[upright pall]
Flag of Arilje, Serbia (fotw)

UPRIGHT PILE
See ‘pile 1)’.

[upright pile]
Flag of Merida, Venezuela (fotw)

UPRIGHT TRIANGLE
See ‘triangle 2)’.

[upright triangle]
Flag of Minas Gerais, Brazil (fotw)

UPROOTED
In heraldry see ‘eradicated’.

[Bukovany] [Bukovany]
Arms and Flag of Bukovany, Czechia (fotw)

URBAN CROWN
See ‘mural crown 1)’.

[urban crown]
Flag of Cherbourg, France (fotw)

URDY (or URDΙ)
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’

[urdy example] [urdy example]
Flag of Sψgne, Norway (fotw); Flag of Skaun, Norway (fotw)

URINANT
The heraldic term used when the head of a fish points downward - see ‘haurient’ and ‘naiant’.

[urinant example] [urinant example] [urinant example]
Arms of Nazarι, Portugal (fotw); Flag and Arms of Espinho, Portugal (fotw)

US EXECUTIVE ORDER
See ‘executive order’.

[current US flag]
National Flag of the USA (fotw)

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