Gambeson

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈɡæm.bɪ.sən/

Definitions

1. An insulating and padded garment utilized in historical contexts as an underlayer for body armor
2. A protective and cushioned piece of clothing designed to be worn under metallic armor for added defense
3. A thickly quilted jacket worn beneath armor to provide cushioning and reduce impacts

Etymology: The most surprising thing about this word is that its core is the belly. The Proto-Germanic root "wambō" meant "belly" or "womb," and it passed into Frankish as "wamba," meaning "abdomen." Medieval Latin then turned that into "wambāsium," a term for a doublet or waistcoat, the close-fitting garment worn over the torso. From there the word moved into Old French as "gambais" and "wambais," describing a quilted jerkin. The French forms gave rise to "gambeson," which came into Middle English as "gambison." The garment itself was padded so that a blow would be absorbed by layers of stuffed cloth rather than passed through to the body, which is why the name for a garment that covered the belly ended up attached to armour padding. German kept the older sense more visibly: "Wams" still means waistcoat or doublet, and Middle High German "wambeis" names the same kind of garment, both descending from the same Old High German "wamba," meaning stomach.