[The earlier form of BORDER, F. bordure, OF. bordeure.]
1. Her. A Bearing that goes all round, and parallel to the boundary of the Escutcheon, in form of a hem, and always contains a fifth part of the Field in breadth. Porny, Elem. Her., 1787.
1460. Lybeaus Disc., 858. He bar the scheld of goules Of gold was the bordure.
1593. Wyrley, Armorie, 86. Three rundels In sable bordure deepely ingreled.
1610. Guillim, Heraldry, I. v. (1660), 30. This term Entoyre is proper to all bordures charged with dead things.
1763. Brit. Mag., IV. 527. Sable, an eagle displayed, ermine, within a bordure, argent.
1864. Boutell, Heraldry, Hist. & Pop., xiv. 163. The bordure of Holland is blazoned without any dimidiation.
2. = BORDER. (An occasional variant.)
1664. Evelyn, Kal. Hort. (1729), 199. In such Bordures plant neither Herbs nor Flowers. Ibid. (1693), De la Quint. Compl. Gard., Gloss., Bordures or Borders is a term likewise used for Herbs commonly planted in Borders.
a. 1695. Wood, Life (1848), 295, note. I have here printed my epistle with a bordure and picture in it.
1830. Tennyson, Poems, 85. In the bordure of her robe was writ Wisdom.