Full Plate Armour Was Lighter Than a Modern Soldier Carries
Armour is protective covering. The image of the immobile knight is a myth, and the numbers say so.
Armour is protective covering worn in battle or fitted to a vehicle. The knight who had to be craned onto his horse is a Victorian invention: a full fifteenth-century harness weighed roughly twenty to twenty-five kilograms, spread over the whole body, which is less than the load a modern infantry soldier routinely carries. Wearers could run, mount unaided and get up off the ground.
- Protective covering. *A suit of armour.*
- Armoured vehicles. *Enemy armour.*
- To fit with protection. *An armoured car.*
- Armour as a modifier. *Armour plating.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| British | armour | Body armour. |
| American | armor | Body armor. |
| Adjective | armoured | An armoured train. |
| Person | armourer | The castle armourer. |
| Related | chainmail | A shirt of chainmail. |
How it is used in a sentence
- The regiment lost most of its armour.Tanks.
- A chink in the armour.A weak point.
- Body armour saved his life.Modern protection.
Types of armour
- Mail — interlinked rings, often called chainmail
- Plate — shaped metal sections, the classic knightly harness
- Brigandine — small plates riveted inside a fabric coat
- Lamellar — small plates laced together, used across Asia
- Composite — modern layered ceramic and fibre materials
From Old French *armeure*, from Latin *armatura*, from *arma*, weapons. The British spelling keeps the French *-our*.
Could knights move in armour?
Yes. Reconstructions show wearers running, mounting horses and standing up after falling. The weight was distributed across the body.
Armour or armor?
Armour is British and Commonwealth, armor American. The pattern matches colour and color.