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pavis

or pav·ise

[pav-is]
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noun
  1. a large oblong shield of the late 14th through the early 16th centuries, often covering the entire body and used especially by archers and soldiers of the infantry.
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Origin of pavis

1350–1400; Middle English paveys < Middle French pavais < Old Italian pavese literally, of Pavia; see -ese
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for pavise

Historical Examples

  • The shield itself or pavise was large, made of wood covered with skin, and surrounded with a broad rim of iron.

    Traditions of Lancashire, Volume 1 (of 2)

    John Roby

  • The former monarch devised for them a system of tactics, in which the pavise was made to play a prominent part.

British Dictionary definitions for pavise

pavis

pavise

noun
  1. a large square shield, developed in the 15th century, at first portable but later heavy and set up in a permanent position
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Word Origin

C14: from Old French pavais, from Italian pavese of Pavia, Italian city where these shields were originally made
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