pavis
or pav·ise
[ pav-is ]
/ ˈpæv ɪs /
Save This Word!
noun
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.
QUIZ
ARE YOU A TRUE BLUE CHAMPION OF THESE "BLUE" SYNONYMS?
We could talk until we're blue in the face about this quiz on words for the color "blue," but we think you should take the quiz and find out if you're a whiz at these colorful terms.
Question 1 of 8
Which of the following words describes “sky blue”?
Meet Grammar CoachImprove Your Writing
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
How to use pavis in a sentence
The former monarch devised for them a system of tactics, in which the pavise was made to play a prominent part.
The Art of War in the Middle Ages A.D. 378-1515|C. W. C. OmanThe shield itself or pavise was large, made of wood covered with skin, and surrounded with a broad rim of iron.
British Dictionary definitions for pavis
pavis
pavise
/ (ˈpævɪs) /
noun
a large square shield, developed in the 15th century, at first portable but later heavy and set up in a permanent position
Word Origin for pavis
C14: from Old French pavais, from Italian pavese of Pavia, Italian city where these shields were originally made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