port arms

noun

a position in military drill in which one's rifle is held diagonally in front of the body, with the muzzle pointing upward to the left.

Origin of port arms

First recorded in 1795–1805

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for port arms

Historical Examples of port arms

A while Case stood with the Winchester at the port-arms; then he gave a little laugh to himself, and stepped round the ferns.
Island Nights' Entertainments
Robert Louis Stevenson
A while Case stood with the Winchester at the port-arms; then he gave a little laugh to himself and stepped round the ferns.
The Works of Robert Louis Stevenson - Swanston Edition Vol. 17 (of 25)
Robert Louis Stevenson