greave

noun

: armor for the shin

Examples of greave in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Killing a man in full bronze armor—helmet, breastplate, greaves—was not an easy task. Anne Carson, Harper's magazine, 2 Mar. 2020 Each hoplite wielded an eight-foot spear made of ash, while his body armor consisted of a breastplate, helmet, and greaves, all made of bronze. National Geographic, 6 Feb. 2020 And the film is worth watching for one gesture alone, as the Dauphin (Robert Pattinson), Hal’s opposite number, lounges languidly, in his matte-black breastplate and greaves, above the fray. Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 4 Oct. 2019 My favourite application of bronze has always been the cuirass (breastplate), shield, spear, sword and greaves of the Spartan soldiers. Wei Koh, A-LIST, 3 Apr. 2018

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'greave.' 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 greve, from Anglo-French

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of greave was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near greave

Cite this Entry

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

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