cataphract

[ kat-uh-frakt ]

noun

1. a heavily armed war galley of ancient Greece.
2. a suit of ancient Roman scale armor for a man or horse.
3. Zoology. the bony plates or scales covering the body of certain fishes or reptiles.

Other Words From

• cata·phractic adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of cataphract¹

1575–85; < Latin cataphractus fully armored < Greek katáphraktos (akin to kataphrássein to clothe fully in armor), equivalent to kata- cata- + phraktós fenced, protectively clothed ( phrag- fence + -tos verbal adjective suffix)

Example Sentences

Cataphract, kat′a-frakt, n. (Milton) a soldier in full armour.

From Project Gutenberg