Rebus

A charge containing an allusion to the name of the owner; a pictorial suggestion of the owner's name on a coat of arms. E.g.: Three hammers borne on the Martel arms or a bridge borne on the arms of the Bridge family. See Allusive Arms, Canting Arms, Armes Parlantes.

Coates, in his Dictionary of Heraldry, defines rebus as a device which has a painted representation but with words annexed to it, so that neither the one nor the other make any sense alone. In effect the motto explains the thing represented, and the representation makes up the imperfect motto. Sometimes the motto describes the figure, or the name of the figure makes up what is defective in the words. For instance, a fool painted kneeling with a horn at his mouth with the words, Fol age nous trompe (Foolish age deceives us) has no signification; but, if taken as it is intended, it should be read Fol a genous trompe, the figure expresses the meaning of a fool, kneeling and sounding the horn. As another example, Coates mentions the motto upon a sun-dial, “We must,” the meaning of which is made up by the thing itself, that is, "We must die all", alluding to the dial. These kind of rebuses were formerly much more in use than they are now.