Brassard

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /bɹəˈsɑːd/

Definitions

1. A piece of armor or identifying band worn on the arm, or a sleeve-like covering bearing a distinctive mark or insignia
2. A protective or identifying armband worn on the upper arm, typically made of metal for combat or cloth for insignia marking
3. An arm-worn protective plate or fabric band used historically in battle or to display official rank and recognition

Etymology: The arm-piece has a surprisingly old pedigree in English under a different spelling. "Brasset" turns up in Elisha Coles's 1676 dictionary, glossed simply as "armor for the Arms," and Nathan Bailey's 1736 dictionary repeats the sense, pairing it with French "brassarts." Long before that, the Scottish form "brassat" is attested from 1590, so the Scots were using the word a good while before the English spelling settled. The word was borrowed from French, where it comes from "bras," meaning "arm." The French term picked out a piece of armour protecting the upper arm, and English took the same idea over with it. The spelling "brassard" itself only became common later: "brassart" appears from 1736 and "brassard" from 1788, so the modern form is the product of a gradual shift in spelling rather than a single borrowing event.

Synonyms: armband, band