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Webster 1913 Edition


Cuirass

Cui-rass′

(kwē̍-rȧs′, or kwē′răs; 277)
,
Noun.
;
pl.
Cuirasses
(-ĕz)
.
[F.
cuirasse
, orig., a breastplate of leather, for OF.
cuirée
,
cuirie
influenced by It.
corazza
, or Sp.
coraza
, fr. an assumed LL.
coriacea
, fr. L.
coriaceus
, adj., of leather, fr.
corium
leather, hide; akin to Gr.
χόριον
intestinal membrane, OSlav.
skora
hide, Lith.
skura
hide, leather. Cf.
Coriaceous
.]
1.
(a)
A piece of defensive armor, covering the body from the neck to the girdle
.
(b)
The breastplate taken by itself.
☞ The cuirass covered the body before and behind. It consisted of two parts, a breast- and backpiece of iron fastened together by means of straps and buckles or other like contrivances. It was originally, as the name imports, made of leather, but afterward of metal.
Grose.
2.
(Zool)
An armor of bony plates, somewhat resembling a cuirass.

Webster 1828 Edition


Cuirass

CUIRASS

,
Noun.
A breast-plate; a piece of defensive armor, made or iron plate, well hammered, and covering the body from the neck to the girdle.

Definition 2024


cuirass

cuirass

English

Noun

cuirass (plural cuirasses)

  1. A piece of defensive armor, covering the body from the neck to the girdle.
    • 1786, Francis Grose, A Treatise on Ancient Armour and Weapons, page 19:
      The cuirass covered the body before and behind, it consisted of two parts, a breast and back piece of iron, fastened together by means of straps and buckles, or other contrivances. They were originally as the name imports, made of leather, but afterwards of metal, both brass and iron.
  2. The breastplate taken by itself.

Quotations

  • For usage examples of this term, see Citations:cuirass.

Translations