a piece of defensive armour, made of iron plate, well hammered, serving to cover the body, from the neck to the girdle, both before and behind. Some derive the word, by corruption, from the Italian cuore, "heart;" because it covers that part; others from the French cuir, or the Latin corium, "leather;" whence coriaceus: because defensive arms were originally made of leather. The cuirass was not brought into use till about the year 1300, though they were known both to the ancient Greeks and Romans in different forms.