present arms
Americannoun
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a position of salute in the manual of arms in which the rifle is held in both hands vertically in front of the body, with the muzzle upward and the trigger side forward.
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(for troops in formation not under arms) the hand salute.
Etymology
Origin of present arms
First recorded in 1750–60
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“I gave the command to present arms, and we raised our sabers for Kennedy to walk under, like a tunnel,” Broadus said.
From Washington Post • Nov. 25, 2013
Not only did 10,000 drenched soldiers present arms along the line of march, but many times as many soaking Argentineans turned out to wave farewell to this simp�tico Yankee.
From Time Magazine Archive
On the stone steps, the tall, booted, hawk-nosed Earl watched a company of soldiers, sailors and airmen click to "present arms," heard a military band play the final strain of God Save the King.
From Time Magazine Archive
One senior Bonn diplomat called the timing of Rust's flight particularly unfortunate "against the background of the present arms discussions and everything else at stake in the world at the moment."
From Time Magazine Archive
He hardly looked at the passers-by, his nose seemed to threaten the heavens, and he was astonished that the sentinel on guard at the barrier did not present arms to him.
From The Barber of Paris by Kock, Charles Paul de
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
