BEND

In Heraldry, an ordinary bounded by parallel lines, equally distant from the line joining the dexter base to the sinister chief. It contains the fifth part of the escutcheon if charged, and the third if not charged. The bend sinister descending from the sinister chief to the dexter base, is the well known difference which denotes bastardy, being borne on the paternal escutcheon of the bastard. To Bend. The general sea term for fastening any thing; is to bend one rope to another, the cable to the anchor, a sail to a yard or gaff Cerlain knots are called bends; as a iarrick bend, a fisherman's bend, . BENDS, called also [s. 156]