E. Cobham Brewer 1810–1897. Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 1898.
Bar,
in heraldry. An honourable or dinary, consisting of two parallel lines drawn across the shield and containing a fifth part of the field.
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“A barre … is drawne overthwart the escochon … it containeth the fifth part of the Field.”—Gwillim: Heraldry.
A Bar sinister in an heraldic shield means one drawn the reverse way; that is, not from left to right, but from right to left. Popularly but erroneously supposed to indicate bastardy.
