Couped

Coupy, Recouped, Fr. Coupé

1. Said of a beast having the head or any limb cut cleanly off from the body. A head couped is a head having the appearance of being cut off with a sharp knife. The term is distinct from erased, where the item is shown ragged as being violently torn off. Recopyd is the Old English term. See also Couped biparted

2. A term used when the ends of an ordinary are cut short from meeting the edge of the shield, as in the case of the baton, which is  a diminutive of the bend. The staff illustrated is shown couped at the upper end and erased at the lower. The fess couped was also once termed fess carnelle. See also Humetté

Note: By some early writers recoursi is considered to mean couped.

Couped at the shoulders. The busts of men, women and children are often borne in coats of armour and for crests. When thus blazoned, only the very top of the shoulders appear, and no more.

Couped below the shoulders shows some part of the arms and breast.

Couped close. Said of a couped head where no part of the neck is visible.  Caboshed is the term used when the head is  full-faced or affronté.

Couped fitched, cut off, yet having a projecting point, originally to stick into the ground.