Cuirasses

1 definition found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Cuirass \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., of leather, fr. corium leather, hide; akin to Gr.
     cho`rion 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.
            [1913 Webster]
  
     Note: 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.
           [1913 Webster]
  
     2. (Zool) An armor of bony plates, somewhat resembling a
        cuirass.
        [1913 Webster]