1. a piece of armor covering the chest and back, typically made of metal or hardened leather
Usage: historical; often used in plural or as part of a suit of armor
2. the hard outer covering or shell of certain insects and crustaceans
Usage: zoology

Examples

• The knight wore a polished steel cuirass that gleamed in the sunlight.
• Medieval soldiers often protected themselves with a cuirass and helmet.
• The museum displayed a 16th-century cuirass decorated with gold inlay.
• The armadillo's cuirass-like shell provides excellent protection from predators.
• A cuirass was an essential part of a soldier's defensive equipment during the Renaissance.