Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
⭐ Most important 🪖 Exposed position 🦌 Leaping in heraldry 📐 Pointing outward 📋 Main features
salient

salient

1 9.9
An animal shown leaping with front legs raised together and body leaning forward
  • adjective
  • /ˈseɪliənt/
  • Archaic
translation icon : saltante
  • The heraldic lion is depicted as salient, with its front legs raised and body poised to leap.

Examples

  • The "lions salient" (to use European heraldic terminology) flanking a heart perhaps recalls the lions with hearts on the Danish state arms.

    Academic text (2003)

  • A particular concern is that traumatic stress reactions may prevent young children from resolving stage-salient developmental challenges, which may then present as psychopathology (Cicchetti & Toth, 1998).

    Academic text (2006)

  • In the coat of arms, the salient lion represents courage and strength, ready to spring into action.

  • The design features a salient creature, symbolizing bravery and readiness in heraldry.

Compounds

salient angle
  • Specialized
8.6

An angle inside a shape that sticks out and is less than 180 degrees

Surface Forms

salient positive

Morphology

salient = sali + ent

The adjective is a direct borrowing built from a non‑English root (sali-) + the Latinate suffix -ent, so learners cannot derive its heraldic meaning from familiar English components.

Etymology

Salient comes from the Latin salire which means 'to leap'. In heraldry it described an animal shown 'leaping' forward, so a salient creature is the special leaping pose on a shield.