skirt of tasses
- noun
- Archaic
- The knight's skirt of tasses was dented during the fierce battle.
Examples
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Museum exhibits of medieval armor often feature a complete skirt of tasses.
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The knight wore a skirt of tasses during the battle.
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A skirt of tasses provided additional protection for soldiers in heavy armor.
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Many historical armors featured a skirt of tasses for added protection.
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A skirt of tasses provided additional protection for soldiers in heavy armor.
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Museum exhibits of medieval armor often feature a complete skirt of tasses.
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The knight's skirt of tasses was dented during the fierce battle.
Synonyms
1
9.9
A metal plate that protects the hip and thigh in a suit of armor
1
9.9
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
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.