vambrace

English

A vambrace (lower arm protection)

A vambrace (full arm protection)

Alternative forms

• vantbrace, vanbrace, vantbrass, vantbras

Etymology

From Middle English vambrace, vauntbras, from Anglo-Norman vambras, avantbras.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈvæm.bɹeɪs/

Noun

vambrace (plural vambraces)

1. (historical) The piece of armor designed to protect the arm from the elbow to the wrist.
2. (historical) The pieces of armor protecting the arm from the shoulder to the wrist.
   • 1786, Francis Grose, A Treatise on Ancient Armour and Weapons‎^[1], page 22:

     To the cuirass were buckled the armour for the shoulders and arms, the first called Pouldrons, the second Brassarts, Garde bras, les avant bras, and corruptly in English, Vambraces. The vambraces included all the defence for the arms, from the pouldrons to the wrist. At the joint, or bending of the arm, the vambraces were cut obliquely, […]

   • 2003, John Marco, The Devil's Armour, 2010, Electronic Edition, unnumbered page:

     Thorin reached out for the vambrace and gauntlet that made up the armour's right arm.

Usage notes

The narrower definition (protection for the lower arm) is preferred by academic authors, but may be less common in general use.

Hyponyms

• (protection from elbow to wrist): couter, cowter, lower cannon of vambrace
• (protection from shoulder to wrist): couter, cowter, lower cannon of vambrace, rerebrace, upper cannon of vambrace

Derived terms

• guard of vambrace

 

Related terms

• vantbras
• vambraced

Translations

piece of armor from elbow to wrist

• Finnish: käsivarsihaarniska
• French: brassard de l’avant-bras m
• Russian: наручи (ru) (naruči)

piece of armor from shoulder to wrist

• Finnish: käsivarsihaarniska

See also

• pauldron

Further reading

• vambrace on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Armour on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Plate armour on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Components of medieval armour on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Middle English

Alternative forms

• vauntbras, vantbrace, vaunbras, vanbras, vaumbras, vauntbrace, vawmbrace, vauntbrase, vambrase, vambras, vaumbrace

Etymology

From Anglo-Norman vambras, avantbras; equivalent to avant +‎ brace.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈvambraːs(ə)/, /ˈvau̯mbraːs(ə)/, /ˈvan(t)braːs(ə)/, /ˈvau̯n(t)braːs(ə)/

Noun

vambrace (plural vambraces)

1. Lower arm armour; vambrace.

Descendants

• English: vambrace, vanbrace, vantbrace, vantbrass

References

• “vaum-brāce, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-08-11.