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The Collaborative International Dictionary
Vambrace

Vambrace \Vam"brace\, n. [See Vantbrass.] (Anc. Armor) The piece designed to protect the arm from the elbow to the wrist.

Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
vambrace

armor or guard for the forearm, early 14c., from Anglo-French vant-bras, from Old French avant-bras, from avant "before, in front of" (see avant) + bras "an arm" (see brace (n.)).

Wiktionary
vambrace

alt. 1 The piece of armor designed to protect the arm from the elbow to the wrist. 2 The pieces of armor protecting the arm from the shoulder to the wrist. Not in common use in this sense, most scholars preferring the narrower definition, of armor for the lower arm. n. 1 The piece of armor designed to protect the arm from the elbow to the wrist. 2 The pieces of armor protecting the arm from the shoulder to the wrist. Not in common use in this sense, most scholars preferring the narrower definition, of armor for the lower arm.

WordNet
vambrace

n. cannon of plate armor protecting the forearm [syn: lower cannon]

Wikipedia
Vambrace

Vambraces ( French: avant-bras, Polish: karwasz, sometimes known as lower cannons in the Middle Ages) or forearm guards are tubular or gutter defences for the forearm worn as part of a suit of plate armour. Vambraces may be worn with or without separate couters in a full suit of medieval armour. The term originates in the early 14th century. They were made from either boiled leather or steel. Leather vambraces were sometimes reinforced with longitudinal strips of hardened hide or metal creating splinted armour.

Usage examples of "vambrace".

As for himself, though he had been fitted out in lobster-tail helmet, leather buff-coat and steel cuirass, vambraces, cuishes and gauntlets, and had a broadswordsomewhat altereddepending from a wide leather baldric, the clothing beneath was anachronistichis old GI coveralls and a handsome pair of hand-tooled Western boots.

Then came the rerebraces that protected his upper arms, and the vambraces that sheathed his forearms, the espaliers to cover his shoulders and two more roundels that armoured his elbow joints.

I glanced wryly at Joscelin, gazing shoreward with keen interest, vambraces glinting as he leaned on the rail.

The lamels on both the upper and lower cannons of the vambraces were layered and scalloped like the scales of a fish, adorned by rows of pearly rivetheads, chased and molded to match the breastplate with its foliate seaweed design.

Joscelin loosed the buckles of his vambrace one-handed, sliding it up and tightening it in place over the wound, using his teeth.

Removing his borrowed helm, he passed a vambraced forearm oxer his face.

The first few ranks were heavy-armed, plate rerebraces and vambraces on their arms instead of mail sleeves, heavy pauldrons protecting their shoulders, visored helmets, mounted on huge chargers, real old-style brewery-wagon horses.

A good time they continued this exercise, and then cast themselves in a ring, dauncing in such severall Postures, and singing and yelling out such hellish notes and screeches: being strangely painted, every one his quiver of arrowes, and at his backe a club: on his arme a Fox or an Otters skinne, or some such matter for his vambrace: their heads and shoulders painted red, with oyle and Pocones mingled together, which Scarlet like colour made an exceeding handsome shew, his Bow in his hand, and the skinne of a Bird with her wings abroad dryed, tyed on his head, a peece of copper, a white shell, a long feather, with a small rattle growing at the tayles of their snaks tyed to it, or some such like toy.

Blades whose razor edges gleamed in the dancing light rose from exaggerated randers like miniature wings and flared from his vambraces like the raking claws of some clockwork raptor.

David de Rocaille reacted on instinct, blocking the strike with one vambraced arm.

Ready to die or no, David de Rocaille reacted on instinct, blocking the strike with one vambraced arm.

Nothing remains of Vambrace but his smouldering boots, which would be cartoony and almost funny except that his feet are still inside them.

The first few ranks were heavy-armed, plate rerebraces and vambraces on their arms instead of mail sleeves, heavy pauldrons protecting their shoulders, visored helmets, mounted on huge chargers, real old-style brewery-wagon horses.

He fumbled with the side buckles of the breast and back plates that were attached to a leather coat that also supported the rerebraces and vambraces that protected his arms.

All-metal crossbows, stained black, were cradled on their vambraced forearms, quarrels set and locked.