United KingdomNorth AmericaOther English dialectsarchaicformalhistorical
A popular or literary term (not strictly technical in heraldry) referring to a diagonal band on a coat of arms, often used to denote the mark known formally as the 'bend sinister.'
2.
United KingdomNorth AmericaOther English dialectsarchaicpejorativefigurative
Figuratively, a stigma or mark suggesting illegitimacy, dishonor, or a taint on reputation; used to imply that someone or something carries a discrediting association.