The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 4 letter word ARMS
I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
A
R
M
S
More clues leading to the result ARMS
- Weapons found in farmstead
- Means of dispatching members
- Munitions left by English — not quite the safe distance?
- Out of hospital, damages limbs
- Cockney causes injury with weapons
- Gets more friendly with expelled members
- Hands out weapons when there’s room inside
- See 24dn.
- Means of defence gets hot with top off
- Outfits and why they have sleeves
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Swords/shield motif" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case swords/shield motif = arms.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does ARMS mean?
ARMS noun- The portion of the upper human appendage, from the shoulder to the wrist and sometimes including the hand.
- The extended portion of the upper limb, from the shoulder to the elbow.
- A limb, or locomotive or prehensile organ, of an invertebrate animal.
- A long, narrow, more or less rigid part of an object extending from the main part or centre of the object, such as the arm of an armchair, a crane, a pair of spectacles or a pair of compasses.
- A bay or inlet off a main body of water.
- A branch of an organization.
- Power; might; strength; support.
- A pitcher
- One of the two parts of a chromosome.
- A group of patients in a medical trial.
- (usually used in the plural) A weapon.
- (in the plural) Heraldic bearings or insignia.
- (in the plural) War; hostilities; deeds or exploits of war.
- To take by the arm; to take up in one's arms.
- To supply with armour or (later especially) weapons.
- To prepare a tool or a weapon for action; to activate.
- To cover or furnish with a plate, or with whatever will add strength, force, security, or efficiency.
- To furnish with means of defence; to prepare for resistance; to fortify, in a moral sense.
- To take up weapons; to arm oneself.
- To fit (a magnet) with an armature.
- Hereditary designs and symbols depicted on an escutcheon, sometimes accompanied by other elements of a heraldic achievement, such as a helm, crest, crest coronet, torse, mantling and supporters; described by a blazon.