armor
Meaning
a hard covering, typically made of metal, worn to protect the body in battle
the metal plates covering a military vehicle or ship to protect it from attack
the protective layer or shell of some animals or plants
to provide someone or something with armor
Usage
the knight's shining armor deflected the sword blow.
the battle tank has reinforced armor on its front hull.
the armadillo's bony armor protects it from predators.
Etymology
the word 'armor' entered english in the late 13th century from the old french 'armure', which itself evolved from the latin 'armatura', meaning 'arms, equipment, armor'. the latin root is 'arma', signifying 'arms' or 'implements of war'. this term is believed to have a deeper, reconstructed proto-indo-european root h₂er- meaning 'to fit together', which also gave rise to words like 'arm' (the limb) and 'article'. the conceptual journey is from the general idea of 'fitting together' equipment, to the specific implements of war, and finally to the specialized protective covering made of fitted metal plates or mail. thus, the modern abstract meaning of a protective shell, whether for a knight, a tank, or an animal, retains the core logic of fitted, defensive equipment derived from its martial origins.
Analysis
the word 'armor' is a simplex word derived from a single root. it is a loanword from old french, which itself came from latin. the root 'arma' in latin meant 'arms, equipment, weapons', and the suffix '-atura' denoted a collective or result. the modern english spelling and form do not allow for a clean segmentation into distinct, meaningful english morphemes.