the right to bear arms
Preserved but no longer current.
The right to use an heraldic device, which can be obtained only by direct grant from the College of Heralds (and the payment of certain fees), or by patrimony, i.e. direct descent from one on whom the grant has been conferred. In either case a small annual licence must be paid if the coat of arms is used in any way, such as on one's carnage, silver, or stationery. A person having such right is said to be armigerous.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “the right to bear arms” mean?
The right to use an heraldic device, which can be obtained only by direct grant from the College of Heralds (and the payment of certain fees), or by patrimony, i.e. direct descent from one on whom the grant has been conferred. In either case a small annual licence must be paid if the coat of arms is used in any way, such as on one's carnage, silver, or stationery. A person having such right is said to be armigerous.
Is “the right to bear arms” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.