Forms: α. 5 curas, -esse, quyras, 5–7 curace, 6–7 curase, cuirace, -rasse, cuyrasse, 7 curasse, 7– cuirass; β. 6 cuyratz, 6–7 curats, 7 curets, cuirats; γ. 6–7 curet, -e, curat, -e, 6 curiet, curret, -ette, 7 cuiret. [In the forms curas, quyras, curace, cuirasse, a. F. cuirasse (1418 in Hatzfeld), f. cuir leather, after Pr. coirassa, It. corazza, Sp. coraza:—L. coriācea adj. (fem.) leathern, f. corium leather; the med.L. corācium, corātium, cuirass, is from the mod. langs. The original OF. name was cuiriée (later quirie):—L. type *coriāta, whence ME. quirie, quirre. In 16th c. a frequent Eng. form was curats, cuirats, app. under the influence of It. curazza: cf. MLG. koritz, ODa. körritz, kyrritz, etc. This being, from its final s, treated as a plural, gave the mutilated singular curat, curate, etc., common 1560–1650. The stress was then on the first syllable, but was subsequently under F. influence shifted to the second: Bailey 1730 has cuira·ss.]
1. A piece of armor for the body (originally of leather); spec. a piece reaching down to the waist, and consisting of a breast-plate and a back-plate, buckled or otherwise fastened together; still worn by some European regiments of cavalry.
The breastplate alone was sometimes called a cuirass, or the two pieces combined were called (a pair of) cuirasses, and the breast-plate a half-cuirass. The word has also been used in a general sense for all kinds of ancient close-fitting defensive coverings for the body, made of leather, metal, or other material.
α. Form cuirass (curas, etc.), pl. cuirasses († curas).
1464. Mann. & Househ. Exp., 195. And my mastyr lent hym a payr of smale curas wyth gardys and vumbarde.
c. 1489. Caxton, Sonnes of Aymon, ix. 241. He smote Gerarde thrughe the quyras.
1495. Act 11 Hen. VII., c. 64. Preamb., Armours Defensives, as … Billes Hauberts Curesses.
1548. Hall, Chron., 12. One company had the … border of the curace all gylte.
1598. Barret, Theor. Warres, V. ii. 141. The Man at Armes … with his cuyrasses of proofe.
1618. Bolton, Florus, IV. ii. 281. A golden curace, or brest-plate.
1678. trans. Gaya’s Arms War, 44. The Cuirass is Musket-proof.
1756–7. trans. Keysler’s Trav. (1760), IV. 289. The armour of the horse-guards with half-cuirasses.
1820. Scott, Monast., xxxv. The troopers … armed with cuirass and back-plate.
1846. Hist. Rec. Life Guards, 215. On this day (1821), the Household Brigade first appeared in Cuirasses, which it has since worn.
† β. Form curats, cuirats, etc.
1591. Harington, Orl. Fur., XXIII. cvi. He casts away his curats and his shield.
1598. Chapman, Iliad, III. 343. The curets that Lycaon wore.
1611. Cotgr., Cuirasse, a Cuirats.
1627. Lisander & Cal., III. 54. Lighted iust betweene his arme and the curats.
1647. W. Browne, trans. Polexander, II. 216. Hee made his cuirates fly in a thousand pieces.
† γ. This form treated as pl., with a sing. curat, etc.
1552. Huloet, Curet, breast-plate or stomager.
1555. Eden, Decades, 98. Eyther bresteplates or curettes of golde.
1596. Spenser, F. Q., V. viii. 34. Through his curat it did glyde.
a. 1625. Boys, Wks. (1629), 533. Paul here makes no mention of a backe Curate for a Christian souldier.
1627. Drayton, Agincourt, 46. Their Curates are vnriuetted with blowes.
† 2. pl. Soldiers wearing cuirasses. Obs.
1598. Barret, Theor. Warres, V. ii. 143. Accompanied with Lances, or cuyrats on horsebacke, I meane armed petranels or pistoliers.
3. transf. a. The breast-plate of the Jewish high-priest.
1836. Keble, in Lyra Apost. (1849), 169. The mystic cuirass gleams no more, In answer from the Holy One.
b. A close-fitting (sleeveless) bodice, often stiffened with metal trimmings or embroidery, worn by women.
1883. Standard, 3 Aug., 3/1. A dark brown [dress] with a cuirass of gold lace.
1889. John Bull, 2 March, 150/2. Mrs. C.’s dress was of white silk, with tablier and cuirass bodice embroidered in pearls.
4. a. fig. Applied to the buckler or any hard protective covering of an animal. b. transf. The armor-plate protection of the sides of a ship, etc.
1598. Sylvester, Du Bartas, I. vi. (1641), 51/1. Th’ hast armed some [creatures] … with thick Cuirets, some with scaly Necks.
1860. Engineer, 16 Nov., 316/2. Whitworth’s gun may punch a hole in the iron cuirass of these ships.
1888. Rolleston & Jackson, Anim. Life, 831. A very distinct cuticle, either a dorsal thickened cuirass, a bivalved cuirass, or rings of plates.
