<P> A baldric (also baldrick, bawdrick, bauldrick as well as other rare or obsolete variations) is a belt worn over one shoulder that is typically used to carry a weapon (usually a sword) or other implement such as a bugle or drum . The word may also refer to any belt in general, but this usage is poetic or archaic . </P> <P> Baldrics have been used since ancient times, usually as part of military dress . The early Islamic Arabs wore baldrics with their armor . The design offers more support for weight than a standard waist belt, without restricting movement of the arms, and while allowing easy access to the object carried . For example, the late 18th - century British Army's distinctive "Red coat" uniform pattern featured a pair of white baldrics crossed at the chest, with a soldier's bayonet sheath suspended from one and his canteen suspended from the other . Alternatively, and especially in modern times, the baldric may fill a ceremonial role rather than a practical one . </P> <P> During ancient Roman times the balteus (plural baltei) was a type of baldric commonly used to suspend a sword . It was a belt generally worn over the shoulder, passing obliquely down to the side, typically made of leather, often ornamented with precious stones, metals or both . There was also a similar belt worn by the Romans, particularly by soldiers, called a cintus (pl . cinti) that fastened around the waist . The word accintus meaning a soldier (literally, "girt" as for battle) attests to this differing usage . </P>

Belt for a sword with a similar name to a blackadder character