byrnie

[bur-nee]

noun

Armor.

1. a coat of mail; hauberk.

byrnie

/ ˈbɜːnɪ /

noun

1. an archaic word for coat of mail

Word History and Origins

Origin of byrnie¹

1325–75; Middle English byrny, Scottish variant of brynie, brinie < Old Norse brynja, cognate with Old English byrne coat of mail, Old High German brunnia

Word History and Origins

Origin of byrnie¹

Old English byrne ; related to Old Norse brynja , Gothic brunjō , Old High German brunnia coat of mail, Old Irish bruinne breast

Example Sentences

To begin with; the pyre in Beowulf is represented as hung with helmets, bright byrnies, and shields.

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The King of Vali council takes, And a sad mistake made he; A name had he gained for courtesy and valour, But he never donned byrnie.

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Ay once, and only once; it was that night when Gunnar sat with me in my bower; he crushed me in his arms till his byrnie burst, and then, then——!

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While they were busking themselves for the journey, she brought them byrnies and helmets, so strong that iron could not scathe them.

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I did so, and in that lay a most beautiful byrnie and helm, if anything better than those we had been choosing from.

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