In heraldry, a mark placed on a coat of arms to indicate that the bearer is a younger or illegitimate branch of a family.
From French brisure (breach, break), derived from briser (to break). The term reflects breaking or varying the family coat of arms.
Medieval heraldry was a complex visual language—a tiny mark called a brisure could tell you if someone was nobility, a younger sibling, or a bastard child, all by looking at their shield!
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