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• acton
  acton

  noun

  a quilted garment worn under mail in the 13th and 14th centuries; gambeson.
• Acton
  Acton

  noun

  Lord John Emerich Edward Dalberg-Acton, 1st Baron, 1834–1902, English historian.

acton

¹ American  

[ak-tuhn] / ˈæk tən /

Or ackton,

noun

Armor.

1. a quilted garment worn under mail in the 13th and 14th centuries; gambeson.

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Acton ² American  

[ak-tuhn] / ˈæk tən /

noun

1. Lord John Emerich Edward Dalberg-Acton, 1st Baron, 1834–1902, English historian.

2. a former municipal borough in SE England, now part of the London borough of Ealing: center of Puritanism at the time of Cromwell.

3. a city in NE Massachusetts.

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Acton ¹ British  

/ ˈæktən /

noun

1. John Emerich Edward Dalberg, 1st Baron. 1834–1902, English historian: a proponent of Christian liberal ethics and adviser of Gladstone

2. his grandfather, Sir John Francis Edward. 1736–1811, European naval commander and statesman: admiral of Tuscany (1774–79) and Naples (1779 onwards) and chief minister of Naples (1779–1806)

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acton ² British  

/ ˈæktən /

noun

1. a jacket or jerkin, originally of quilted cotton, worn under a coat of mail

2. a leather jacket padded with mail

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Acton ³ British  

/ ˈæktən /

noun

1. a district of the London borough of Ealing

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Etymology

Origin of acton

1250–1300; Middle English < Anglo-French aketoun, Old French a ( u ) queton < Old Spanish algodon < Spanish Arabic < Arabic al-quṭun the cotton

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

acton Acton

They came shyly down the lane, like well-meaning acton who were trying to do their best, but who were not good at acting.

From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White

A form of the term acton, as a defensive dress.

From The Sailor's Word-Book An Alphabetical Digest of Nautical Terms, including Some More Especially Military and Scientific, but Useful to Seamen; as well as Archaisms of Early Voyagers, etc. by Sir Edward Belcher

“Now merrily my fiddle goes,    Ye dance and spring around; I sweat with strong exertion    In my acton narrow bound.”

From Grimhild's Vengeance Three Ballads by Thomas James Wise

Some protections were issued for a limited period and lapsed when that period expired; others were of perpetual "force," unless invalidated by some irregular acton the part of the holder.

From The Press-Gang Afloat and Ashore by J. R. (John Robert) Hutchinson

In my acton blue I thee will case, And my golden helm on thy head I’ll place.

From Child Maidelvold and other ballads by George Henry Borrow

Ms. Acton wants to expand property-tax breaks for elderly and disabled homeowners.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026

When his wife supported him, branding young Amy Acton a liar, both the girl and her younger brother were removed from Donna Arthur’s custody and raised by their biological father.

From Salon ● Oct. 23, 2026

Ms. Acton proposes a conditional moratorium to ensure that developers cover utility costs, along with other standards.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026

There are many more girls out there like that unnamed 10-year-old, and like Acton.

From Slate ● Oct. 22, 2026

And inside the front cover there was a big map of London with places on it like Abbey Wood and Poplar and Acton and Stanmore.

From "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time" by Mark Haddon

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