Leather cuirass

  • 1Cuirass — Cui*rass (kw[ e]*r[.a]s , or kw[=e] r[a^]s; 277), n.; pl. {Cuirasses}( [e^]z). [F.cuirasse, orig., a breastplate of leather, for OF. cuir[ e]e, cuirie influenced by It. corazza, or Sp. coraza, fr. an assumed LL. coriacea, fr. L. coriaceus, adj.,… …

    The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • 2cuirass — [kwi ras′] n. [Fr cuirasse < It corazza < VL * coracea, for L ( vestis) coriacea, leather (clothing) < corium, leather, hide: see CORIUM] 1. a piece of closefitting armor for protecting the breast and back, orig. made of leather 2. the… …

    English World dictionary

  • 3cuirass — (n.) armor for the chest and back, mid 15c., from M.Fr. cuirasse (15c.), from L.L. coriacea vestis garment of leather, from L. corium leather, hide (see CORIUM (Cf. corium)). Cognate with It. corazza, Sp. coraza, Port. couraça …

    Etymology dictionary

  • 4cuirass — ► NOUN historical ▪ a piece of armour consisting of breastplate and backplate fastened together. ORIGIN Old French, from Latin corium leather …

    English terms dictionary

  • 5Cuirass — This article is about a type of armour. For details of cavalry wearing cuirasses, see cuirassier. For information about cuirass ventilation, see iron lung. An 1854 cuirass worn by the French Cuirassiers …

    Wikipedia

  • 6cuirass — /kwi ras /, n. 1. Also called corselet. defensive armor for the torso comprising a breastplate and backplate, originally made of leather. 2. either of the plates forming such armor. 3. any similar covering, as the protective armor of a ship. 4.… …

    Universalium

  • 7cuirass — [15] A cuirass ‘breastplate’ is literally, and was originally, a piece of body armour made of leather. The word comes, via French cuirasse, from Vulgar Latin *coriācia, a nominal use of the Latin adjective coriāceus ‘made of leather’. This was a… …

    The Hutchinson dictionary of word origins

  • 8cuirass — [15] A cuirass ‘breastplate’ is literally, and was originally, a piece of body armour made of leather. The word comes, via French cuirasse, from Vulgar Latin *coriācia, a nominal use of the Latin adjective coriāceus ‘made of leather’. This was a… …

    Word origins

  • 9cuirass — cui•rass [[t]kwɪˈræs[/t]] n. 1) her plate armor covering the torso from neck to waist 2) her either of the two plates of a cuirass 3) any similar covering, as a ship s armor 4) zool. a hard shell or other covering on an animal forming a defensive …

    From formal English to slang

  • 10cuirass — /kwəˈræs/ (say kwuh ras) noun 1. a piece of defensive armour for the body, combining a breastplate and a piece for the back. 2. the breastplate alone. 3. any similar covering, as the protective armour of a ship. 4. Zoology a hard shell or other… …