armor

noun

ar·​mor ˈär-mər 

1

: defensive covering for the body

especially : covering (as of metal) used in combat

2

: a quality or circumstance that affords protection

the armor of prosperity

3

: a protective outer layer (as of a ship, a plant or animal, or a cable)

4

: armored forces and vehicles (such as tanks)

armor transitive verb

armorless

ˈär-mər-ləs 

adjective

Illustration of armor

• 1 helmet
• 2 gorget
• 3 shoulder piece
• 4 pallette
• 5 breastplate
• 6 brassard
• 7 elbow piece
• 8 skirt of tasses
• 9 tuille
• 10 gauntlet
• 11 cuisse
• 12 knee piece
• 13 jambeau
• 14 solleret

Synonyms

• aegis
• egis
• ammunition
• buckler
• cover
• defense
• guard
• protection
• safeguard
• screen
• security
• shield
• wall
• ward

Examples of armor in a Sentence

The officers are required to wear bulletproof body armor.

The shots penetrated the tank's armor.

The armadillo's armor consists of a series of small, bony plates.

a weapon designed for use against enemy armor

Recent Examples on the Web

Readers can learn how to use two-way radios, safely store water, and obtain body armor. —Charles Bethea, The New Yorker, 4 Nov. 2024

Police also found 89 firearms, including handguns, submachine guns and AR-15-style rifles, as well as small explosive devices, large quantities of ammunition, silencers, high-capacity magazines, body armor and $500,000 in Canadian, equivalent to roughly $360,000 in US dollars. —Max Hauptman, USA TODAY, 1 Nov. 2024

Ukrainian industry generates some new vehicles on its own—usually by pulling old vehicles out of long-term storage and upgrading them with additional armor and better fire controls. —David Axe, Forbes, 28 Oct. 2024

Both the mainline entries and Warzone are iterating upon each other as Warzone takes on mechanical innovations such as movement changes while titles like Modern Warfare III have utilized the battle royale’s maps and armor system within their campaigns. —Cade Onder, Rolling Stone, 25 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English armure, armoure "arms, body armor," borrowed from Anglo-French & continental Old French, going back to Latin armātūra "armament, troop" (Medieval Latin, "suit of armor") — more at armature

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing armor

• anti-armor
• armor-plated
• knight in shining armor
• scale armor

Kids Definition

armor

noun

ar·​mor ˈär-mər 

1

: a covering (as of metal) to protect the body in battle

2

: a protective covering (as the steel sides of a battleship or the covering of an animal or plant)

3

: armored forces and vehicles (as tanks)