One of the metal pieces or plates forming the material of defensive armor; esp. one of the plates of iron or steel with which the sides of vessels of war are covered. Hence Armo(u)r-plated ppl. a.; and Armo(u)r-plating vbl. sb. (used concr. for ‘armour-plates’).
1864. Tennent, Story of Guns, 227. Supposed to be an insuperable obstacle to the use of Armour-plating.
1869. Sir E. Reed, Iron-Clad Ships, i. 6. A main-deck battery armour-plated.
1874. Boutell, Arms & Arm., x. 187. We add inch to inch in the thickness of our armour-plates.
