Forms: 4–5 armurer, 5 -erer, 5–9 -orer, 7– -ourer. [a. Afr. armurer, OF. -urier, -eurier, f. armeüre ARMOUR: See -ER1.]
1. A maker of armor; in mod. use, a manufacturer of arms.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, V. 1588. Armurers & Arowsmythis.
c. 1450. Pol. Rel. & L. Poems, 19. Yff hit stoode that no wer ware, loste were the craffte of Armoreres.
1598. Stow, Surv. (ed. Strype, 1754), II. V. xii. 296/1. The society or company of the Armourers.
1725. Pope, Odyss., IX. 405 (J.).
| And as when arm’rers temper in the ford | |
| The keen-edg’d pole axe, or the shining sword. |
1825. T. Jefferson, Autobiog., Wks. 1859, I. 98. Such weapons as they could find in armorers’ shops.
1859. Tennyson, Enid, 283. At this the armourer … Came forward with the helmet yet in hand.
2. One who equipped men-at-arms in their mail. Also fig. Obs. exc. Hist.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Knt.’s T., 1649. Faste the Armurers also With fyle and hamer prikynge to and fro.
1599. Shaks., Hen. V., IV. Cho. 12. The Armourers accomplishing the Knights. Ibid. (1606), Ant. & Cl., IV. iv. 7. Thou art The Armourer of my heart.
1605. Camden, Rem., 190. His armorer put on his backe-peece before, and his breast-plate behinde.
3. An official who has charge of the arms of a ship, regiment, etc.
1753. in Chambers, Cycl. Supp.
1758. J. Blake, Mar. Syst., 23. Armourers and sail-makers shall be entered … among the crews.
1835. Sir J. Ross, N.-W. Passage, iii. 53. The engineers and armourers were still employed on the engine.
1844. Regul. & Ord. Army, 148. The Serjeant-Armourer is responsible that the Portable Forge and Chest of Tools be kept in a serviceable state.
¶ By confusion for armure, ARMOUR.
c. 1374. Chaucer, Boeth., II. vi. 51. Ne blode yshed by egre hate ne hadde nat deied ȝit armurers.
