armor
Americannoun
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any covering worn as a defense against weapons.
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a suit of armor.
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a metallic sheathing or protective covering, especially metal plates, used on warships, armored vehicles, airplanes, and fortifications.
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mechanized units of military forces, as armored divisions.
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Also called armament. any protective covering, as on certain animals, insects, or plants.
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any quality, characteristic, situation, or thing that serves as protection.
A chilling courtesy was his only armor.
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the outer, protective wrapping of metal, usually fine, braided steel wires, on a cable.
verb (used with object)
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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armorsimple
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armorssimple
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have armoredperfect
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has armoredperfect
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am armoringprogressive
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are armoringprogressive
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is armoringprogressive
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have been armoringperfect progressive
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has been armoringperfect progressive
Past
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armoredsimple
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had armoredperfect
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was armoringprogressive
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were armoringprogressive
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had been armoringperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of armor
1250–1300; Middle English armo ( u ) r, armure < Anglo-French armour ( e ), armure Old French armëure < Latin armātūra armature; assimilated, in Middle English and Anglo-French, to nouns ending in -our -or 2
Explanation
The metal suit worn by knights as protection in battle is called armor. You can still see suits of armor in many museums today. These days, soldiers still use armor to protect them from bullets and other weapons, though it's not usually made of metal. Modern armor, like bullet-proof vests, is made of extremely strong, dense fabric, while 13th century armor was typically made of steel. In the 14th century, the word itself meant "defensive covering worn in combat" and "means of protection," from the Old French armeure, "weapons or armor," with its Latin root, arma, "arms or gear."
Vocabulary lists containing armor
"Culture Clash"
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Medieval Europe - Introductory
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"On the Menu" and "Find the Adaptations"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The official semiquincentennial parade down Constitution Avenue is led not by military armor but by marching bands from the nation’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
From Salon ● Jul. 4, 2026
They came of age when Orlando Bloom’s Legolas, kitted out in a blond wig, armor and prosthetic pointy ears, was a teen heartthrob.
From Salon ● Jun. 24, 2026
Another image showed Trump looming over warships, dressed as a military commander clad in gold armor, as fighter jets flew overhead.
From Barron's ● Jun. 8, 2026
Police searched Alvarez and discovered two plates of military-grade body armor in the trunk of his car, according to the criminal complaint.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 30, 2026
“Samuel, where is your sword? Where is your armor? Go back and get properly attired.”
From "Blood on the River" by Elisa Carbone
In its role-playing game World of Warcraft, released in 2004, gamers worked together online to complete quests in an effort to make their digital avatars stronger by collecting items like weapons and armors.
From New York Times ● Jan. 18, 2022
Minimalism-averse, Gutiérrez adores ornamentation, as the intricate armors and costumes showcased in “Maya” can attest.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 22, 2021
Around the park’s Homestead entrance last week, hundreds of lubbers were splattered on the asphalt, their crushed orange armors gleaming in the sunlight.
From Washington Times ● Jul. 21, 2019
A majority of the 100 vehicles the company armors each year leave the United States for overseas clients.
From New York Times ● Jun. 17, 2015
Sheaths and other armors can assist in protecting these insulating materials from mechanical injury, and often are used for that purpose.
From Cyclopedia of Telephony & Telegraphy Vol. 1 A General Reference Work on Telephony, etc. etc. by Miller, Kempster
Countries seeking to protect domestic companies are also duplicating efforts, such as building too many different types of armored vehicles.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 5, 2026
That's how your tanks and armored fighting vehicles are available.
From BBC ● Jun. 27, 2026
That night, they were escorted onto the baseball diamond in an armored car with a security detail of some 200 police officers in tow.
From Salon ● Jun. 26, 2026
Along with directed-energy weapons, AeroVironment makes drones known as “loitering munitions” designed to destroy enemy armored vehicles, as well as various systems for use against drones.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 22, 2026
Moving against the flow, and now trying to edge round this same corner, was a column of armored cars, the paintwork untouched by battle, heading south into the German advance.
From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan
“They’re armoring the shoreline with rocks and cement walls, sometimes without permits. And Quidnessett is the poster child.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026
But human engineering, like building dams or armoring riverbanks, can affect streamflow and raise water temperatures.
From Scientific American ● Oct. 30, 2023
Conducted without heavy machinery or other expensive equipment, it was also cost-effective compared with traditional methods of coastal defense, such as sea walls and coastal armoring.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 20, 2023
Rodrigo Rivera, manager of Blindatek, a vehicle bulletproofing service, says he started armoring cars three years ago in response to requests from clients of his car accessories company.
From Reuters ● Apr. 25, 2023
Within, Catelyn found Brienne armoring the king for battle while the Lords Tarly and Rowan spoke of dispositions and tactics.
From "A Clash of Kings" by George R.R. Martin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
