gambeson

[ gam-buh-suh n ]

/ ˈgæm bə sən /

noun Armor.

a quilted garment worn under mail.

Nearby words

gamay, gamba, gamba stop, gambado, gambel's quail, gambeson, gambetta, gambia, gambian, gambian trypanosomiasis, gambier

Origin of gambeson

1300–50; Middle English ga(u)mbeson a military tunic < Old French gambison, gambeison, probably < Germanic

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for gambeson

As the sole armour of the soldier, the gambeson is mentioned both by Wace and Guillaume le Breton.
Ancient Armour and Weapons in Europe|John Hewitt
The "Aketon" appears to be but another name for the gambeson.
Ancient Armour and Weapons in Europe|John Hewitt
The Hauberk, which was worn over the gambeson, was the chief body defence.
Armour & Weapons|Charles John Ffoulkes
The gambeson appearing below the chausses, but covering the chaussons of mail, forming an extra protection to the knee.
Armour in England|J. Starkie Gardner

Quilted garments were still worn, either as the sole defence or as a gambeson under the mail.
Armour & Weapons|Charles John Ffoulkes

British Dictionary definitions for gambeson

gambeson

/ (ˈɡæmbɪsən) /

noun

a quilted and padded or stuffed leather or cloth garment worn under chain mail in the Middle Ages and later as a doublet by men and women

Word Origin for gambeson

C13: from Old French, of Germanic origin; related to Old High German wamba belly; see womb

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012