Barding

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The term refers to a type of ornamental protection worn by horses, typically used in medieval times for both aesthetic and combat purposes
2. It denotes the specialized armor designed to shield horses, often adorned with elaborate artwork that indicated their rider's nobility
3. A style of decorative armor mounted on horses, primarily utilized in historical warfare to provide both defense and a display of status

Etymology: The armour that covered a warhorse came from the same root as the word for a poet. Medieval "barde" was a French term for the horse's protective covering, borrowed into English in the late 15th century, and it is a separate word from "bard" despite the look-alike spelling. Its ultimate source is the Old French "barde", which likely came from Italian "bardare" or Arabic-influenced Mediterranean trade terms, but the exact path is uncertain. The poet's word, by contrast, runs back to a Proto-Celtic "bardos" meaning "bard, poet", ultimately tied to an Indo-European root for praising. Latin borrowed the Celtic term as "bardus", and it reached English in the 15th century as "bard", with the sense of a singer of heroic deeds. Here the two words meet only by coincidence. The horse armour has no link to praise or song, so "barding" as a noun belongs to the French branch, not to the poetic family.

Synonyms: armor, protection, covering, shielding, envelopment

Antonyms: exposure, vulnerability, nakedness, defenselessness, uncovering