gardebras

gardebras

English

Etymology

Either borrowed from (Middle) French garde-bras, gardebras, or modified (under the influence of that word) from Middle English garbrasse, itself from that (Middle) French word.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɡɑɹd.ə.bɹɑ/

Noun

gardebras (plural gardebras)

1. A piece of armor which protects the forearm; a vambrace, a bracer.
   • 1826, Mrs. Bray (Anna Eliza), De Foix; Or, Sketches of the Manners and Customs of the Fourteenth Century: An Historical Romance, page 128:

     and here was seen an entire suit of body armour, the habergeon of mail, the plates that formed the greaves, the gardebras, the poldron, and the gauntlets; these were surmounted by the basinet and  […]

   • 1842, S.R. Meyrick, A Critical Inquiry Into Antient Armour, […] , page 4:

     […] consisting of pauldrons, brassarts, elbow-pieces, and vambraces, though there is a gardebras of the more antient kind so formed as to screw on […]

   • 1851, The Archaeological Journal: […] , page 84:

     The Bishop's silver-gilt "wardebras," the gardebras, or bracer, to protect the left arm, was of singularly costly material.

   • 1870, Bury Palliser, Historic Devices, Badges and War-cries, page 325:

     Sir John Ratcliffe, time of Edward IV., bore for his badge a gardebras, or garbraille, silver.

   • 1884, Jacques de Mailles, The Very Joyous, Pleasant and Refreshing History of the Feats, Exploits, Triumphs and Atchievements of the Good Knight Without Fear and Without Reproach, the Gentle Lord de Bayard, page 250:

     The gardebras was a separate piece which overlaid and protected the junctures of the armor at the shoulder and elbow.

   • 1970, Ernest Richard Suffling, English Church Brasses: from the 13th to the 17th Century:

     […] The large pauldrons with upstanding gardesbras, the long shirt  […]