casque

American  

[kask] / kæsk /

noun

1. an open, conical helmet with a nose guard, commonly used in the medieval period.

2. any helmet-shaped head covering.

3. Zoology. a process or formation on the head, resembling a helmet.

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casque British  

/ kæsk /

noun

1. zoology a helmet or a helmet-like process or structure, as on the bill of most hornbills

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Other Word Forms

• casqued
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of casque

1570–80; < Middle French < Spanish casco helmet, head, earthen pot; akin to cascara

Example Sentences

The market incentivizes the poachers—the beak of the helmeted hornbill in Indonesia, for example, with its red rubbery neck, remarkably expressive eyes, and prized casque that resembles ivory, can sell for thousands of dollars.

From Slate • Apr. 4, 2019

Unlike many other species, the casque is made of solid keratin, akin to rhino horn, and has long been valued as a material that's easy to carve.

From BBC • Oct. 3, 2016

The bird’s casque is used to hammer out insects from rotting wood, or to fight.

From The Guardian • Sep. 28, 2016

Does hornbill behaviour or ecology give us an insight as to which pressures contributed to casque evolution?

From Scientific American • Apr. 22, 2014

Long did she fight valiantly, both on land and on sea, with casque and cuirass.

From The Executioner's Knife Or Joan of Arc by Sue, Eug?ne