armor

noun

ar·​mor ˈär-mər 

1

: defensive covering for the body

especially : covering (as of metal) used in combat

2

: a quality or circumstance that affords protection

the armor of prosperity

3

: a protective outer layer (as of a ship, a plant or animal, or a cable)

4

: armored forces and vehicles (such as tanks)

armor transitive verb

armorless

ˈär-mər-ləs 

adjective

Illustration of armor

• 1 helmet
• 2 gorget
• 3 shoulder piece
• 4 pallette
• 5 breastplate
• 6 brassard
• 7 elbow piece
• 8 skirt of tasses
• 9 tuille
• 10 gauntlet
• 11 cuisse
• 12 knee piece
• 13 jambeau
• 14 solleret

Synonyms

• ammunition
• defense
• shield
• protection
• weapon
• safeguard
• wall

Examples of armor in a Sentence

The officers are required to wear bulletproof body armor.

The shots penetrated the tank's armor.

The armadillo's armor consists of a series of small, bony plates.

a weapon designed for use against enemy armor

Recent Examples on the Web

Among the creatures unearthed at the site was also an ancient turtle with spike-like armor and shell, which at the same time was also present in Germany. —Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 July 2025

Asked if the protective armor was having an impact on his swing, Volpe politely dismissed the question. —Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 5 July 2025

Later that year, in a stunning rout for Russian forces, Ukraine reclaimed nearly a thousand square miles in the Kharkiv region without the benefit of modern armor or air cover. —Michael Carpenter, Foreign Affairs, 1 July 2025

Over the course of 12 episodes and a sequel special, viewers see the decimation of a kingdom at the hand of a flesh-eating virus, and survivors can only fend off the undead with armor, swords, bows, and arrows. —Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 26 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English armure, armoure "arms, body armor," borrowed from Anglo-French & continental Old French, going back to Latin armātūra "armament, troop" (Medieval Latin, "suit of armor") — more at armature

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing armor

• anti-armor
• armor-plated
• knight in shining armor
• scale armor

Rhymes for armor

• charmer
• harmer

Kids Definition

armor

noun

ar·​mor ˈär-mər 

1

: a covering (as of metal) to protect the body in battle

2

: a protective covering (as the steel sides of a battleship or the covering of an animal or plant)

3

: armored forces and vehicles (as tanks)