In heraldry and architecture, a line which is drawn nebuly is made up of a series of bulbous protrusions, which are supposed to resemble clouds. The term is derived from the Latin word nebula, "a mist, vapor, or cloud" (OED). A nebuly line meanders in one direction describing the shape of three-quarters of a circle, then similarly in the other direction, maintaining a straight overall trajectory. A fess nebuly is a fess where the two horizontal lines of the fess are nebuly. A shield formed of several such fesses, termed bars where in excess of one, is barry nebuly.