Armour


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Philip Danforth
[dan-fawrth,, -fohrth] /ˈdæn fɔrθ,, -foʊrθ/ (Show IPA), 1832–1901, U.S. meat-packing industrialist.
any covering worn as a defense against weapons.
a suit of armor.
a metallic sheathing or protective covering, especially metal plates, used on warships, vehicles, airplanes, and fortifications.
mechanized units of military forces, as divisions.
Also called armament. any protective covering, as on certain animals, insects, or plants.
any quality, characteristic, situation, or thing that serves as protection:
A chilling courtesy was his only armor.
the outer, protective wrapping of metal, usually fine, braided steel wires, on a cable.
to cover or equip with armor or .
Contemporary Examples

Old Hawberk sat riveting the worn greaves of some ancient suit of armour, and the ting!
Read ‘The King in Yellow,’ the ‘True Detective’ Reference That’s the Key to the Show Robert W. Chambers February 19, 2014

Spam may be the most well known, but there are hundreds of “potted meat products” available—armour has an entire line.
The Weirdest Food Trend Ever Robert Rosenthal July 14, 2010

Historical Examples

In war they cover the doublet with an haubergeon, a glaon, a large hat of iron, and other armour usual in that country.
Early Travels in Palestine Arculf et al.

The scene follows in which she plays squire to Antony and helps to buckle on his armour.
The Man Shakespeare Frank Harris

We should wear it as a breastplate, and buckle it on as our armour.
The Dixie Book of Days Matthew Page Andrews

All through the middle ages suits of armour are called ‘weeds.’
Beowulf Unknown

Every morning Sir Christopher sat in his Justice’s chair under the helmets and the coats of armour.
For Faith and Freedom Walter Besant

Poor, ill-advised, ungrateful armour came home on Friday last.
The Letters of Robert Burns Robert Burns

He was continually accustomed both to the weight and vse of armour, from his very childhood.
The Lives of the III Normans, Kings of England: William the First, William the Second, Henrie the First John Hayward

Gwaednerth made his enemies, as it were, pay him this tribute with the gold of their armour.
Y Gododin Aneurin

noun
any defensive covering, esp that of metal, chain mail, etc, worn by medieval warriors to prevent injury to the body in battle
the protective metal plates on a tank, warship, etc
(military) armoured fighting vehicles in general; military units equipped with these
any protective covering, such as the shell of certain animals
(nautical) the watertight suit of a diver
(engineering) permanent protection for an underwater structure
heraldic insignia; arms
verb
(transitive) to equip or cover with armour
noun
the US spelling of armour

chiefly British English spelling of armor (q.v.); for suffix, see -or.
n.

c.1300, “mail, defensive covering worn in combat,” also “means of protection,” from Old French armeure “weapons, armor” (12c.), from Latin armatura “arms, equipment,” from arma “arms, gear” (see arm (n.2)). Figurative use from mid-14c.

Meaning “military equipment generally,” especially siege engines, is late 14c. The word might have died with jousting if not for late 19c. transference to metal-shielded machinery beginning with U.S. Civil War ironclads (first attested in this sense in an 1855 report from the U.S. Congressional Committee on Naval Affairs).
v.

mid-15c., from armor (n.). Related: Armored; armoring.

is employed in the English Bible to denote military equipment, both offensive and defensive. (1.) The offensive weapons were different at different periods of history. The “rod of iron” (Ps. 2:9) is supposed to mean a mace or crowbar, an instrument of great power when used by a strong arm. The “maul” (Prov. 25:18; cognate Hebrew word rendered “battle-axe” in Jer. 51:20, and “slaughter weapon” in Ezek. 9:2) was a war-hammer or martel. The “sword” is the usual translation of _hereb_, which properly means “poniard.” The real sword, as well as the dirk-sword (which was always double-edged), was also used (1 Sam. 17:39; 2 Sam. 20:8; 1 Kings 20:11). The spear was another offensive weapon (Josh. 8:18; 1 Sam. 17:7). The javelin was used by light troops (Num. 25:7, 8; 1 Sam. 13:22). Saul threw a javelin at David (1 Sam. 19:9, 10), and so virtually absolved him from his allegiance. The bow was, however, the chief weapon of offence. The arrows were carried in a quiver, the bow being always unbent till the moment of action (Gen. 27:3; 48:22; Ps. 18:34). The sling was a favourite weapon of the Benjamites (1 Sam. 17:40; 1 Chr. 12:2. Comp. 1 Sam. 25:29). (2.) Of the defensive armour a chief place is assigned to the shield or buckler. There were the great shield or target (the _tzinnah_), for the protection of the whole person (Gen. 15:1; Ps. 47:9; 1 Sam. 17:7; Prov. 30:5), and the buckler (Heb. _mageen_) or small shield (1 Kings 10:17; Ezek. 26:8). In Ps. 91:4 “buckler” is properly a roundel appropriated to archers or slingers. The helmet (Ezek. 27:10; 1 Sam. 17:38), a covering for the head; the coat of mail or corselet (1 Sam. 17:5), or habergeon (Neh. 4;16), harness or breat-plate (Rev. 9:9), for the covering of the back and breast and both upper arms (Isa. 59:17; Eph. 6:14). The cuirass and corselet, composed of leather or quilted cloth, were also for the covering of the body. Greaves, for the covering of the legs, were worn in the time of David (1 Sam. 17:6). Reference is made by Paul (Eph. 6:14-17) to the panoply of a Roman soldier. The shield here is the thureon, a door-like oblong shield above all, i.e., covering the whole person, not the small round shield. There is no armour for the back, but only for the front.

see:

chink in one’s armor
knight in shining armor

Read Also:

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  • Armour-plated

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  • Armoured

    any covering worn as a defense against weapons. a suit of armor. a metallic sheathing or protective covering, especially metal plates, used on warships, vehicles, airplanes, and fortifications. mechanized units of military forces, as divisions. Also called armament. any protective covering, as on certain animals, insects, or plants. any quality, characteristic, situation, or thing that […]

  • Armoured car

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  • Armourer

    noun a person who makes or mends arms and armour a person employed in the maintenance of small arms and weapons in a military unit Contemporary Examples Then I turned to the right and stopped before a dingy shop which bore the sign: HAWBERK, armourer. Read ‘The King in Yellow,’ the ‘True Detective’ Reference That’s […]


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