In heraldry, azure (/ˈæʒər, ˈeɪʒər/ AZH-ər, AY-zhər, UK also /ˈæzjʊər, ˈeɪzjʊər/ AZ-ure, AY-zure)[1][2][3] is the tincture with the colour blue, and belongs to the class of tinctures called "colours".
In engraving, it is sometimes depicted as a region of horizontal lines or else is marked with either az.
The term azure shares its origin with the Spanish word "azul", which refers to the same color, deriving from Hispanic Arabic lāzaward, the name of the deep blue stone now called lapis lazuli.
As a heraldic colour, the word azure means "blue", and reflects the name for the colour in the Anglo-Norman dialect spoken by French-speaking Norman nobles following the Norman Conquest of England.
A wide range of colour values is used in the depiction of azure in armory and flags, but in common usage it is often referred to simply as "blue".