Corselet

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈkɔːslət/

Definitions

1. A piece of armor designed to protect the chest and torso, worn mostly in medieval times
2. A protective garment made of metal or another strong material that covers the upper body to guard against injury
3. A defensive covering for the torso, typically constructed from plates or chainmail, used historically in combat

Etymology: "Corselet" is a diminutive of "corps," the French word for "body," spelled "cors" in the older form that French borrowed into English. A corselet is therefore, quite literally, a little body: a piece of armour fitted to the torso, with the body itself as the reference point. The same root that gave English "corpse" and "corps" once described the thing that covered the living body in battle. The French suffix "-elet" makes the noun smaller, so the word names a lesser or more compact version of the body-covering idea, much as "corselet" sits alongside the larger "corset," which shares the same base. Both words trace back to the body they were made to fit.

Synonyms: bodice, corset