In
heraldry there are many, many different types of cross. Without further addition, a cross is the up-and-down, left-and-right variety, as in
St George's cross, though thicker than normally depicted on the flag used for England.
One thing that is not a cross is the diagonal or St Andrew's and St Patrick's cross: this is called a saltire in heraldry.
The four arms of a plain cross meet in the centre, and extend all the way to the edge of the shield. When the arms do not meet the edge, as in the flag of Switzerland, it is called a cross couped.
A cross couped where the crossbar is higher than the centre, the normal Christian representation, is called a Passion Cross. If it further stands on a base of steps it is called a Cross Calvary; the steps are called grieces. A Passion Cross bearing the figure of Christ is called a crucifix.
A patriarchal cross is a cross couped with a second shorter crossbar above the main one. Outside heraldry this is called a cross of Lorraine.
A tau cross has only three pieces, the uppermost arm being omitted, and the arms curved outward.
A cross crosslet has short perpendicular crossbars near the ends of each of its arms. A cross potent has crossbars actually on the ends of the arms, that is it like four letters T joined in the centre. When the entire shield is covered in cross crosslets it is termed crusilly.
A Maltese cross is familiar: the arms spread outward, and the ends dip back in in an angle.
A cross fitched has its foot unlike the other three arms: it descends in a narrowing spike.
There are various terms describing how the ends of the arms may be altered in ornate ways. Botonny means having three rounded lumps; fleuretty means ending in a fleur-de-lys; there are also patonce, fleury, and moline, which would sound virtually the same described in words, variations on curved points at the ends.