armature

noun

ar·​ma·​ture ˈär-mə-ˌchu̇r How to pronounce armature (audio)
-chər,
-ˌtyu̇r,
-ˌtu̇r
1
: an organ or structure (such as teeth or thorns) for offense or defense
2
a
: a piece of soft iron or steel that connects the poles of a magnet or of adjacent magnets
b
: a usually rotating part of an electric machine (such as a generator or motor) which consists essentially of coils of wire around a metal core and in which electric current is induced or in which the input current interacts with a magnetic field to produce torque
c
: the movable part of an electromagnetic device (such as a loudspeaker)
d
: a framework used by a sculptor to support a figure being modeled in a plastic material
e
: framework sense 1a
events that serve as the armature of the book

Examples of armature in a Sentence

the rigid armature of a highly stratified society
Recent Examples on the Web This will be her first ready-to-wear season without the armature of her former employer. Vanessa Friedman, New York Times, 7 Feb. 2024 The three-bedroom and two-and-a-half-bath home’s I-beam steel-frame armature supports vast expanses of glass and a 30-foot ceiling in the central atrium that is crisscrossed by a geometric assemblage of bridges and staircases. Mark David, Robb Report, 26 Jan. 2024 This doesn’t really matter much, because above all, a mystery is an armature on which to hang a bunch of distinct, disparate characters, without the necessity of character development. Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 14 Jan. 2024 Some companies are reportedly experimenting with adding a dynamic or balanced armature driver to the earbuds for punch. Parker Hall, WIRED, 15 Nov. 2023 Their previous association is only one of many familial or coincidental connections between characters that support a plot that is more or less beside the point, being fundamentally an armature on which to hang a few hours of action. Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 20 Sep. 2023 The tuning of the dynamic drivers and the balanced armatures in the Pi7 S2 is close to perfect. Mark Sparrow, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2023 Based on the analysis of armatures, archery is now well documented in Africa approximately 70,000 years ago. Laure Metz, Discover Magazine, 15 Mar. 2023 Staging everything inside a Death Star armature weighs that fleetness down. Helen Shaw, The New Yorker, 3 Mar. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'armature.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, "armor, armed force," borrowed from Latin armātūra "armament, troop" (Medieval Latin, "suit of armor, defensive equipment of an animal"), from armātus, past participle of armāre "to arm entry 2, equip" + -ūra -ure

First Known Use

1653, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of armature was in 1653

Dictionary Entries Near armature

Cite this Entry

“Armature.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/armature. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

armature

noun
ar·​ma·​ture ˈär-mə-chər How to pronounce armature (audio)
-ˌchu̇(ə)r
1
: a covering or structure (as the spines of a cactus) used for protection or defense
2
: the part of an electric generator that consists of coils of wire around an iron core and that induces an electric current when it is rotated in a magnetic field
3
: the part of an electric motor that consists of coils of wire around an iron core and that is caused to rotate in a magnetic field when an electric current is passed through the coils
4
: the movable part of an electromagnetic device (as a loudspeaker)

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