The Collaborative International Dictionary
Chausses \Chausses\, n. pl. [F.] The garment for the legs and feet and for the body below the waist, worn in Europe throughout the Middle Ages; applied also to the armor for the same parts, when fixible, as of chain mail. [1913 Webster] ||
Wikipedia
Chausses (; ) are armour for the legs, usually made from mail. They could extend to the knee or cover the entire leg. Chausses were the standard type of metal leg armour during most of the European Middle Ages. Chausses offered flexible protection that was effective against slashing weapons. However, the wearer felt the full force of crushing blows.
Reinforcing plates called poleyns began to supplement mail armour in the 13th century. One of the first locations to see this protection was the knee. But because most leg armor had to be pulled on from the foot, rather than snapped on such as a breastplate, a chausse might have been considered to be worn on the foot. Steel shin plates called schynbalds came into use during the final quarter of the century. Unlike greaves, schynbalds protected only the front of the lower leg. These early plate additions were worn over chausses and held in place with leather straps. Chausses became obsolete in the 14th century as plate armour developed.
Chausses were also worn as a woollen legging with layers, as part of civilian dress, and as a gamboissed (padded) garment for chain mail.
The old French word chausse, meaning stocking, survives only in modern French as the stem of the words chaussure (shoe) and chaussette (sock) and in the tongue-twister:
Les chausses sèches de l’archiduchesse
Sont elles sèches ou archisèches?
which today is often misunderstood as "les chaussettes de l’archiduchesse".
Usage examples of "chausses".
Oliver limped through the arched gateway, clutching baggy chausses obviously donned in haste.
Her appreciative gaze traced the thin line of hair that disappeared into the top of his chausses, and halted on his arousal.
She simply reached up, untied the knot at his waist, then pulled the chausses over his hips and legs, averting her face to avoid actually seeing his nakedness.
Again he complied, and soon the chausses were in a crumpled pile by the chair.
They come home tres biens chausses, as a Frenchman would say, mighty well shod with professional knowledge.
She hid it within the capuchon she had from the goodman in the assart under Parfois, and pulled on again the coarse chausses and tunic.
He turned his back from the assart to the ford, after all, and waded the Severn in his shirt with his cotte and chausses under his arm, and went a good half of the way to Castell Coch before he dared take to the woods and lie waiting for full darkness.
Harry had thought himself plain and ordinary enough to pass muster anywhere, but suddenly he was uneasily aware of the silver chasing on the hilt of his dagger, the modest gold clasp that fastened his cloak, and even the good homespun cloth and court cut of his cotte and chausses.
The Royal Attriod in their plumed splendor would surround him, armored cap-a-pie, light splintering off richly ornamented chausses, vambraces, coudieres, genouilliers, tassets, gauntlets.
The Royal Attriod in their plumed splendor surrounded him, armored cap-a-pie, light splintering off richly ornamented chausses, vambraces, coudieres, genouilliers, tassets, gauntlets.