pattee

Pattee, also spelled pattée or patty in some sources, is a heraldic term used to describe a form of cross. In a pattee cross, the arms narrow toward the center and broaden toward the ends, ending in blunt, rounded, or squarish tips. This gives each arm a wide, outward flare, producing a distinctive, spread-out appearance at the ends.

In blazon, the term pattee or pattée is applied to crosses whose characteristic feature is the widened ends. It is one of several cross shapes used in heraldry to convey different stylistic meanings and affiliations. The form is common in coats of arms and insignia across various European traditions, and it is often contrasted with other cross shapes such as the cross patonce (more elaborate and floriated at the ends) or the cross pattee with differing degrees of flare.

The word pattee derives from a French origin, reflecting the idea of something spread out or expanded. Variants such as pattée and paté appear in different linguistic usages, but all describe the same basic geometric concept: a cross whose arms widen toward the extremities.

A well-known example of a pattee-style cross is the cross pattée, which is associated with several military and heraldic contexts, including depictions on insignia and emblems. The form is recognized for its blunt, outward-splaying ends and is distinct from other heraldic cross variants by this characteristic flare.