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)
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armors,
present (3rd person singular)
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armored,
past participle, past
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armoring
present participle
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
-
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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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:
My mom, who also had a propensity for hair that could double as armor, often joked we should bury her with a six-pack of Diet Coke and a bottle of hair spray.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026
Chainlink necklaces, lace headpieces and even fringe bangs become a form of armor.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
The exercise showed that the U.S. may struggle to protect that armor as it moves.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026
Dermal armor refers to hard, bony plates embedded within the skin.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 5, 2026
“Samuel, where is your sword? Where is your armor? Go back and get properly attired.”
From "Blood on the River" by Elisa Carbone
With each of her characters, Nazarin included, Neshat gradually sheds their armors of self-possession and strength, their reserve and resolve, to reveal how fragile, scared and insecure they truly are.
From New York Times ● May 3, 2022
So Tre armors himself, he goes about making himself indestructible.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 17, 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
The seigneur, said the Jew, owned the finest horses and the finest armors imaginable.
From The Abbatial Crosier or Bonaik and Septimine. A Tale of a Medieval Abbess by Eugène Sue
Trump, 80, is expected to take a ceremonial lap of honor in his armored limousine dubbed "The Beast" and then wave the green flag to start the race.
From Barron's ● Aug. 22, 2026
As I peppered him with questions about the pink car and the Brinks armored truck, he remained cagey while slowly yielding information.
From Slate ● Aug. 14, 2026
In crocodilians, these protective structures are often called osteoderms and form the armored surface visible along the back.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 5, 2026
This is compared with popular self-propelled howitzers, which can move out of position quickly and where operators have the protection of an armored vehicle.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026
Coming out of the woods was a glistening amber insect, tenfeetiong, with jagged pincers, an armored tail, and a stinger as long as my sword.
From "The Battle of the Labyrinth" by Rick Riordan
“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
What started out as simple summer cabins have been replaced with major year-round developments, from resorts to large homes — and shore armoring on virtually every parcel.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 12, 2024
But human engineering, like building dams or armoring riverbanks, can affect streamflow and raise water temperatures.
From Scientific American ● Oct. 30, 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.
