vambrace

English

A vambrace (lower arm protection)

A vambrace (full arm protection)

Alternative forms

• vantbrace, vanbrace, vantbrass

Etymology

From Middle English vambrace, vauntbras, from Anglo-Norman vambras, avantbras.

Noun

vambrace (plural vambraces)

1. (historical) The piece of armor designed to protect the arm from the elbow to the wrist.
2. (historical) The pieces of armor protecting the arm from the shoulder to the wrist.
   • 1786, Francis Grose, A Treatise on Ancient Armour and Weapons, page 22,

     The vambraces included all the defence for the arms, from the pouldrons to the wriſt.

   • 2003, John Marco, The Devil's Armour, 2010, Electronic Edition, unnumbered page,

     Thorin reached out for the vambrace and gauntlet that made up the armour's right arm.

Usage notes

The narrower definition (protection for the lower arm) is preferred by academic authors, but may be less common in general use.

Hyponyms

• (protection from elbow to wrist): couter, cowter, lower cannon of vambrace
• (protection from shoulder to wrist): couter, cowter, lower cannon of vambrace, rerebrace, upper cannon of vambrace

Related terms

• vantbras

Translations

piece of armor from elbow to wrist

• Finnish: käsivarsihaarniska
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Russian: наручи (ru) (naruči)

piece of armor from shoulder to wrist

• Finnish: käsivarsihaarniska
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}

See also

• pauldron

Further reading

• vambrace on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Armour on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Plate armour on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Components of medieval armour on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

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Middle English

Alternative forms

• vauntbras, vantbrace, vaunbras, vanbras, vaumbras, vauntbrace, vawmbrace, vauntbrase, vambrase, vambras, vaumbrace

Etymology

From Anglo-Norman vambras, avantbras; equivalent to avant +‎ brace.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈvambraːs(ə)/, /ˈvau̯mbraːs(ə)/, /ˈvan(t)braːs(ə)/, /ˈvau̯n(t)braːs(ə)/}

Noun

vambrace (plural vambraces)

1. Lower arm armour; vambrace.

Descendants

• English: vambrace, vanbrace, vantbrace, vantbrass

References

• “vaum-brāce (n.)”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-08-11.