In heraldry, arranged in the direction or manner of a fesse; horizontally divided across a shield.
Combines 'fesse' with the suffix '-ways' (variant of '-wise'), both derived from Old English roots meaning 'manner' or 'direction.'
Medieval heralds had to be incredibly precise—they created multiple words like 'fesswise' and 'fessways' (both meaning almost the same thing) to cover every possible way charges could be positioned on shields.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.