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 Word Forms

• cataphractic 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

Stegocephalous, steg-ō-sef′a-lus, adj. with the head mailed, loricate, cataphract.

Read more on Project Gutenberg

In those old "aphract" vessels the upper tier of rowers had to sit exposed on their benches with no real protection from the enemy's darts; but in the new "cataphract" ships like the "Invincible" there is a stout solid bulwark built up to shield the oarsmen from hostile sight and missiles alike.

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As a precaution against the elephants Matho instituted a corps of cataphract cavalry, men and horses being hidden beneath cuirasses of hippopotamus skin bristling with nails; and to protect the horses' hoofs boots of plaited esparto-grass were made for them.

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