passage of arms English

Meaning passage of arms meaning

What does passage of arms mean?

passage of arms noun

— A chivalric feat of arms involving the forcing of a passage protected by a knight or a group of knights.

— Any feat of arms, especially when used to display the prowess of the participants.

— An argument or quarrel. For example, Charles Dickens, remarking the independence of Mrs. Snagsby in domestic affairs in Bleak House , says “...she is the high standard of comparison among the neighbouring wives ..., who in any domestic passages of arms habitually call upon their husbands to look at the difference between their (the wives’) position and Mrs. Snagsby’s...”