In
heraldry a shakefork is also known as a
pall and a
pairle. It is a Y-shaped division of the field of a shield, like an inverted
chevron descending from the upper edge, with a foot extending to the base of the shield. It is very rare in English heraldry but more common in
Scottish, particularly in the family of
Cunninghame.
It is more usually, though, not always, cut off just before it reaches the edges of the shield.