Ribaudequin

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ɹɪˈbəʊdɪkɪn/

Definitions

1. A kind of historical leg protection used in warfare to shield the lower extremities from injury during combat scenarios
2. A piece of protective gear historically worn on the lower legs to guard against injury during fighting
3. Armor designed to cover the shin and calf areas, used by soldiers in past wars for defense

Etymology: In Old French, "ribaud" meant a rogue, a lowlife, or a loose-living fellow, and the French "ribaudequin" is built on that stem. English "ribald", meaning coarse or bawdy, comes from the same Old French root, so this armour name is a distant relative of a word for vulgar humour. The ending "-equin" is less clear. Its origin is uncertain, and the sources do not explain how a term for a disreputable character came to name a piece of leg armour.