skirt of tasses
- noun
- Archaic
- The knight's skirt of tasses was dented during the fierce battle.
Examples
-
Museum exhibits of medieval armor often feature a complete skirt of tasses.
-
The knight wore a skirt of tasses during the battle.
-
A skirt of tasses provided additional protection for soldiers in heavy armor.
-
Many historical armors featured a skirt of tasses for added protection.
-
A skirt of tasses provided additional protection for soldiers in heavy armor.
-
Museum exhibits of medieval armor often feature a complete skirt of tasses.
-
The knight's skirt of tasses was dented during the fierce battle.
Synonyms
One of two small plates of armor that hang from the waist to protect the upper thighs
One of a pair of metal plates that hang from armor to protect the upper thighs
A metal plate that protects the hip and thigh in a suit of armor
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase is directly compositional: 'skirt' (a garment) + 'of' (made of/consisting of) + 'tasses' (armor plates for the upper thighs) yields a garment made from overlapping armor plates worn below the waist. Although 'tasse' is specialized armor vocabulary, a learner who knows the constituent meanings can readily infer the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
Skirt of tasses names a row of small metal plates called tasses that hang down like a skirt from a suit of armor. Because the overlapping plates cover the waist and thighs, the name shows it was worn 'to protect' the lower body.