hauberk
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of hauberk
1250–1300; Middle English < Old French hauberc, earlier halberc < Frankish *halsberg, equivalent to *hals neck ( see hawse) + *berg protection ( see harbor); cognate with Old High German halsberc Old English healsbeorg, Old Norse halsbjǫrg
Explanation
A hauberk was part of the suit of armor worn by knights. Made of strong chain mail, a knight's hauberk helped protect the upper half of his body during a battle. Chain mail, which is basically metal fabric, was a relatively lightweight part of a medieval knight's armor. The word hauberk comes from the Frankish halsberg, "neck-cover," a small section of chain mail that protected only a knight's neck and shoulders. The hauberk expanded on this, covering more of the body from blows, sometimes extending from neck to knees.
Vocabulary lists containing hauberk
The Hobbit
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Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
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Tolkien Reading Day, List 11
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
On tournament day, to the king’s great chagrin, Each one left his hauberk behind at the inn.
From Washington Post ● Jul. 21, 2022
"I've been working on a chain-mail hauberk," he says, walking in the mountains above his parents' house.
From Time Magazine Archive
Beside the bed, still dressed in mail hauberk and travel-stained cloak, sat her father's brother, the Black- fish.
From "A Clash of Kings" by George R.R. Martin
"Your hauberk must have rusted away, sister," he threw back.
From "A Clash of Kings" by George R.R. Martin
"This hauberk I wear is large for me, but it should fit Conn nicely, and the battle-axe I carry would suit Shagga's mighty hand far better than that wood-axe he holds."
From "A Game of Thrones" by George R.R. Martin
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
