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Glite Dictionary
gentleman-at-arms

gentleman-at-arms

9.9
One of forty ceremonial guards who attend the king or queen at state events
  • noun
  • /ˈdʒɛntəlmən æt ɑːmz/
  • UK
translation icon : gentilhombre de armas
  • The gentlemen-at-arms are easily recognized by their ornate uniforms.

Examples

  • The gentleman-at-arms stood proudly during the ceremony.

  • It is a great honor to be appointed as a gentleman-at-arms.

  • At the coronation, a gentleman-at-arms stood solemnly by the throne.

  • Several gentlemen-at-arms participated in the royal parade.

  • During the royal parade, the gentleman-at-arms proudly marched alongside the sovereign, dressed in their ceremonial uniforms.

  • The gentleman-at-arms stood at attention, holding his sword, as the queen made her entrance to the banquet.

  • At the state event, a gentleman-at-arms escorted the dignitaries to their seats, embodying the grandeur of the occasion.

Synonyms

beefeater
vsgentleman-at-arms
  • UK
2 9.9

A guard who wears a traditional uniform at the Tower of London

is instead a specific forty-person group that attends the sovereign on state occasions
yeoman
vsgentleman-at-arms
  • UK
1 9.9

A soldier who stands guard and takes part in British royal ceremonies

refers to a specific forty-person unit that attends the sovereign at state events
Yeoman of the Guard
vsgentleman-at-arms
1 9.9

A guard who stands near the king or queen during ceremonies while wearing a Tudor uniform

means a fixed forty-person unit attending the sovereign at state ceremonies

Antonyms

civilian
574 2.6

A person who is not a soldier or police officer

Surface Forms

gentleman-at-arms singular
gentlemen-at-arms plural

Morphology

gentleman-at-arms = gentleman + arms (semi-transparent) = at + gentleman + arms

The components 'gentleman', 'at', and 'arms' are recognizable, but the whole is a fixed historical/title phrase for a specific ceremonial office rather than a freely compositional phrase.

Etymology

The word gentleman-at-arms comes from two parts: gentleman, which once meant 'a noble or well-born man', and at-arms, which means 'ready with weapons'. So a gentleman-at-arms was originally a noble who served as the ruler's soldier, and today the title names a special ceremonial guard who stands by the king or queen.