English
Alternative forms
Noun
pavais (plural pavaises)
- (military, historical) A very large shield covering a soldier from head to foot, often with a projecting ridge running vertically down the center.
- 1786, Francis Grose, A Treatise on Ancient Armour and Weapons, page 27:
- The pavais, pavache, or tallevas was a large shield, or rather a portable mantlet, capable of covering a man from head to foot, and probably of sufficient thickness to resist the missive weapons then in use.
French
Pronunciation
Verb
pavais
- first-person singular imperfect indicative of paver
- second-person singular imperfect indicative of paver