| Term | Description |
| Radiant | Edged with rays or beams; giving off rays; as, "A sun radiant." |
| Raguly | Notched or jagged in an irregular diagonal manner. Said of a line or bearing having such an edge |
| Rampant | Said of a beast of prey, as a lion, rising with fore paws in the air., as if attacking. The right fore leg and the right hind leg should be raised higher than the left. Unless otherwise specified, the animal faces dexter.
COUNTER RAMPANT - Said of two animals rampant in opposite directions. (Sometimes used to denote a beast rampant toward sinister.) RAMPANT GARDANT - The same as rampant, but with the animal looking full-faced. RAMPANT PASSANT - Said of an animal when walking with the dexter fore paw raised somewhat higher then the mere passant position. RAMPANT REGARDANT - In a rampant position and looking behind. RAMPANT SEJANT - A beast in a sitting posture, with the fore legs raised. |
| Ravissant | In a half-raised position, as if about to spring on prey. (Said of the wolf and such beasts when in the attitude saliant.) |
| Regardant | Said of an animal whose face is turned toward the tail in an attitude of vigilance; looking backward |
| Reined | Said of a horse when the reins are of a different color from the animal. [BITTED.] |
| Repassant | A lion or other animal passant, facing the sinister side of the shield |
| Reserved | Contrary to the usual way or position |
| Respectant | Two animals borne face to face. Rampant beasts of prey so borne are said to be combatant. |
| Retorted | Said of serpents when wreathed one in another, or fretted in the form of a knot |
| Ribbon | A diminutive of the bend, being one-eighth its size, and often used as a difference. When couped or cut short it becomes a baton |
| Ringed | Provided with a ring or rings. (Said of the falcon.) |
| Rising | A bird represented as if in the act of taking flight; rising from the ground |
| Rompu | Fracted; broken; parted asunder, as a chevron, bend, etc. |
| Rose | The Rose, which is popular in English heraldry, is generally borne singly and full-faced, with five petals, barbs and seeds. |
| Roundel | A subordinary in the form of a circle. If of a metal it is a simple disk; if of a color, it is convex, half a globe. It takes its name from its color, unless in case of counter-changes, which follow the tinctures of the field, or when the roundel is of fur or of equal tinctures, as "a roundel ermine," "a roundel checky or and azure." Otherwise roundels have distinguishing names, according to their tinctures. They are seldom borne singly, and are as follows:
When or they are Bezants, When argent they are Plates, When gules they are Torteaux, When azure they are Hurts, When vert they are Pommes, When purpure they are Golpes, When sable they are Pellets, When tenne they are Oranges, When sanguine they are Guzes. The pellet is sometimes called a gunstone or ogress. FALSE ROUNDEL - This was a name given in early lists for the annulet. Thus the arms of Vipont were blazoned "Gules, six false roundels or." |
| Rousant | Rising. Said of a bird in the attitude of rising; preparing to take flight. Sometimes this term is applied to a bird in profile, as a swan with wings addorsed. |
| Rowel | [See MULLET.] |
| Rustre | A lozenge pierced round in the center, and exposing the field through it. |