Definition

Noun: - Armor plate that protects the body below the waist: A piece of plate armor, typically part of a suit of armor, designed to cover and defend the lower torso and upper legs.

Usage

• This term is a specific, historical term for a component of medieval European plate armor.
• It is used almost exclusively in historical, military, or arms and armor contexts.

Examples

• The knight's skirt of tasses was intricately engraved with his family crest.
• When assembling the reproduction suit of armor, the skirt of tasses was the final piece to be attached.
• The museum's display explained how the skirt of tasses provided vital protection for the lower abdomen and hips.

Advanced Usage

• The term is highly specialized. In modern descriptions, it might be referred to more generally as "faulds" or "lower body armor."
• It is often discussed in relation to other armor components like the cuirass (torso armor) or cuisses (thigh armor).

Variants and Related Words

• Tassets (noun): Individual hanging plates that make up the "skirt of tasses." The term "tasses" is an alternate spelling of "tassets."
• Faulds (noun): A set of horizontal plates attached to the bottom of a breastplate, serving a similar protective function as a skirt of tasses.
• Armor (noun): The general category of protective clothing.
• Plate armor (noun): Armor made from large metal plates.

Synonyms

• Lower body armor: A more general, descriptive synonym.
• Faulds: A closely related term for overlapping armor plates for the lower torso.
• Tassets: Refers to the specific hanging plates that constitute the skirt.

Notes

• This is a compound noun ("skirt of tasses"). The core historical term is tasses or tassets. The phrase "skirt of tasses" describes the arrangement of these plates.
• The word is archaic and not used in contemporary language outside of historical study, reenactment, or fantasy genres.

Noun

1. armor plate that protects the body below the waist