Terminology

Commonly Used Terms:

Acrostic – is the first letters of each line spelling something out (such as a name)

Almuce - A hood, cape, or similar garment made of or lined with grey fur and worn by a member of a religious order [i]

Baldric- A belt or girdle, usually of leather and richly ornamented, worn pendent from one shoulder across the breast and under the opposite arm, and used to support the wearer's sword, bugle, etc.[ii]

Bascinet Style / Bascinet Helmet - typical open-faced helmet from around the 1400’s that was pointed at the top of the head. [iii] 

Bodice - The upper part of a woman's dress, a tight-fitting outer vest or waistcoat, either made in a piece with the skirt or separate[iv]

Brainbergs - the plate of armour below the knee.[v] 

Butterfly Headdress / Conical Headdress - a style worn in England in the late fifteenth century[vi]

Camail - A piece of chain-mail armour attached to the basinet or head-piece, and protecting the neck and shoulders[vii]

Cartwheel Ruff - a decorative collar with starched ruffles around the neck, could be worn by both women or men and was popular during the 16th and 17th century.[viii]

Chevron – pattern having the shape of a V or an inverted V: such as a heraldic charge consisting of two diagonal stripes meeting at an angle usually with the point up [ix]

Chrysom Style Brass - a brass of an infant who did not live past one month old and who is wrapped in in fabric, normally a white cloth.[x] [xi]

Cote-hardie - A close-fitting garment with sleeves, formerly worn by both sexes.[xii]

Cowl Neck - a high loose-fitting turnover collar[xiii]

Crosier - The pastoral staff or crook of a bishop or abbot.[xiv]

Cuirass - A piece of armour for the body; a piece reaching down to the waist, and consisting of a breast-plate and a back-plate, buckled or otherwise fastened together.[xv]

Dede - Latin for Dead or died. For more Latin terms see Latin Terms below.

Dog – lap-dogs at the feet of women represent fidelity and companionship. Hounds at the feet of men represent “manly sport.”[xvi]

Gauntlet - A glove worn as part of medieval armour, usually made of leather, covered with plates of steel.[xvii]

Gorget - A piece of armour for the throat.[xviii]

Habit - clothing traditionally worn by a nun or monk. [xix]

Horned Headdress - a female headdress with two distinct horns or points bound together. It was also called an escoffion.[xx]

Kirtle - A man's tunic or coat, originally a garment reaching to the knees or lower, sometimes forming the only body-garment, but more usually worn with a shirt beneath and a cloak or mantle above.[xxi]

Lancastrian Armor - refers to the “Lancastrian Esses Collar” that features “S” shapes, possibly to symbolize sovereignty and the Lancastrian dynasty. [xxii]

Lappet - A loose or overlapping part of a garment, forming a flap or fold.[xxiii]

Lion – represents courage.[xxiv]

Mailskirt / Chainmail Skirt – medieval armour that protects the upper thigh and groin made of chainmail links (interlocking metal rings). [xxv]

Mantle - A loose sleeveless cloak.[xxvi]

Misericord – A long, narrow knife, used from the High Middle Ages to deliver the death stroke (or mercy stroke) to a seriously wounded knight.[xxvii]

Pauldron - A piece of armour covering the shoulder; a shoulder plate.

Palimp (palimpsest) - A parchment or other writing surface on which the original text has been effaced or partially erased, and then overwritten by another; a manuscript in which later writing has been superimposed on earlier writing [xxviii]

Pinnacle - Gothic architectural motif that ends in a small spire and is used in conjunction with buttresses.[xxix]

Rerebrace - A piece of armour covering the upper arm from the shoulder to the elbow.[xxx]

Rose – represents love, the love of God, and the love of the Virgin Mary. It is often depicted with four petals to suggest the cross. [xxxi]

Rowel Spur - A small spiked revolving wheel or disc attached to the end of a spur.[xxxii]

Sabaton - A broad-toed armed foot-covering worn by warriors in armour.[xxxiii]

Solleret - A shoe composed of steel plates or scales, forming part of a knight's armour.[xxxiv]

Trace / Tasset - overlapping horizontal pieces of leg armour, also known as Tuilles. See Tuilles.

Tuilles - One of two or more plates of steel hanging below, or forming the lowest part of, the tasses, and covering the front of the thighs.[xxxv]

Tunic - A loose, dress-like garment, with or without sleeves, that extends some way down the legs. [xxxvi]

Vambrace - Defensive armour for the (fore-)arm.[xxxvii]

Wimple - A garment worn by women, folded as to envelop the head, chin, sides of the face, and neck. [xxxviii]

Winged Headdress - also known as a wimple. See Wimple.

Latin Terms:

  • Ao dni : anno domini (A.D.)
  • aia, aiabz : anima, animabus (soul/s)
  • armig’ : armiger (esquire)
  • capels : capellanus (chaplain)
  • cui' : cujus, cuius (whose)
  • dna : domina (lady, dame)
  • dns, dni : dominus, domini (lord)
  • ecclie : ecclesiae (church)
  • ei' : ejus (his or her)
  • Jhs, Jhu : Jhesus (Jesus)
  • mens’ mesis : mensis (month)
  • millmo, millimo : millesimo (thousand)
  • nup’ : nuper (lately, formerly)
  • pos. : posuit (placed)
  • quoda : quondam (once, formerly)
  • sci : sancti (saint)
  • ux' : uxor (wife)
  • Xps: Christ (from Greek XPICTOC)

References: 

[i] "Almuce," Oxford English Dictionary Online, accessed March 24, 2025, https://www.oed.com/dictionary/almuce_n?tab=meaning_and_use-paywall.

[ii] "Baldric," Oxford English Dictionary Online, accessed March 24, 2025, https://www.oed.com/dictionary/baldric_n?tab=meaning_and_use#28973872.

[iii] Malcolm Cook, Discovering Brasses and Brass Rubbing (Shire Publications, 1976).

[iv] Oxford English Dictionary Online, "Bodice," accessed March 24, 2025, https://www.oed.com/dictionary/bodice_n?tab=meaning_and_use#17154619.

[v] Malcolm Cook, Discovering Brasses and Brass Rubbing (Shire Publications, 1976).

[vi] "Brass Rubbings of Women," British Archaeology at the Ashmolean Museum, accessed March 24, 2025, https://britisharchaeology.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/brass-rubbings/brass-rubb-women.html.

[vii] "Camail," Oxford English Dictionary Online, accessed March 24, 2025, https://www.oed.com/dictionary/camail_n?tab=meaning_and_use#10241255.

[viii] “Ruff,” Fashion History Timeline, last modified September 20, 2017. https://fashionhistory.fitnyc.edu/ruff/.

[ix] "Chevron," Merriam-Webster, accessed March 29, 2025, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chevron.

[x] Malcolm Cook, Discovering Brasses and Brass Rubbing (Shire Publications, 1976). 

[xi] Gertrude Harraden, “On Brasses and Brass Rubbing” in The Girl’s Own Paper (1893), 14.

[xii] "Cote-hardie," Oxford English Dictionary Online, accessed March 24, 2025, https://www.oed.com/dictionary/cote-hardie_n?tab=meaning_and_use#8031552.

[xiii] "Cowl-neck," Merriam-Webster, accessed March 29, 2025, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cowl-neck.

[xiv]  "Crosier," Oxford English Dictionary Online, accessed March 24, 2025, https://www.oed.com/dictionary/crosier_n?tab=meaning_and_use#7844780.

[xv] "Cuirass," Oxford English Dictionary Online, accessed March 24, 2025, https://www.oed.com/dictionary/cuirass_n?tab=meaning_and_use#7725797.

[xvi] "Iconography on Brasses," Hamline University, accessed March 24, 2025, https://www.hamline.edu/about/offices-services/archives/brass-rubbings-collection/iconography.

[xvii] "Gauntlet," Oxford English Dictionary Online, accessed March 24, 2025, https://www.oed.com/dictionary/gauntlet_n1?tab=meaning_and_use#3279941.

[xviii] "Gorget," Oxford English Dictionary Online, accessed March 24, 2025, https://www.oed.com/dictionary/gorget_n1?tab=meaning_and_use#2896110.

[xix] “A Nun’s ‘Habit’ & a Mini-Skirt,” Merriam-Webster, accessed April 2, 2025, www.merriam-Webster.com. https://www.merriam-webster.com/wordplay/habit. 

[xx] Malcolm Cook, Discovering Brasses and Brass Rubbing (Shire Publications, 1976). 

[xxi] "Kirtle," Oxford English Dictionary Online, accessed March 24, 2025, https://www.oed.com/dictionary/kirtle_n1?tab=meaning_and_use#39943481.

[xxii] “Collar of Esses,” London Museum, accessed April 2, 2025, https://www.londonmuseum.org.uk/collections/v/object-30441/collar-of-esses/. 

[xxiii] "Lappet," Oxford English Dictionary Online, accessed March 24, 2025, https://www.oed.com/dictionary/lappet_n?tab=meaning_and_use#39719459.

[xxiv] "Iconography on Brasses," Hamline University, accessed March 24, 2025, https://www.hamline.edu/about/offices-services/archives/brass-rubbings-collection/iconography.

[xxv] Malcolm Cook, Discovering Brasses and Brass Rubbing (Shire Publications, 1976).

[xxvi] "Mantle," Oxford English Dictionary Online, accessed March 24, 2025, https://www.oed.com/dictionary/mantle_n?tab=meaning_and_use#37974983.

[xxvii] "Medieval Dagger & Knife," Medieval Britain, accessed March 24, 2025, https://medievalbritain.com/type/medieval-life/weapons/medieval-dagger-knife/#:~:text=Poignard,and%20round%20or%20spherical%20pommel.

[xxviii] "Palimpsest," Oxford English Dictionary Online, accessed March 24, 2025, https://www.oed.com/dictionary/palimpsest_n?tab=meaning_and_use#32535855.

[xxix] “Definition of PINNACLE,” Merriam-Webster, accessed April 2, 2025, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pinnacle. 

[xxx] "Rerebrace," Oxford English Dictionary Online, accessed March 24, 2025, https://www.oed.com/dictionary/rerebrace_n?tab=meaning_and_use#25907731.

[xxxi] "Iconography on Brasses," Hamline University, accessed March 24, 2025, https://www.hamline.edu/about/offices-services/archives/brass-rubbings-collection/iconography.

[xxxii] "Rowel," Oxford English Dictionary Online, accessed March 24, 2025, https://www.oed.com/dictionary/rowel_n?tab=meaning_and_use&view=curated#197095019.

[xxxiii] "Sabaton," Oxford English Dictionary Online, accessed March 24, 2025, https://www.oed.com/dictionary/sabaton_n?tab=meaning_and_use#24576212.

[xxxiv] "Solleret," Oxford English Dictionary Online, accessed March 24, 2025, https://www.oed.com/dictionary/solleret_n?tab=meaning_and_use#21679374.

[xxxv] "Tuille," Oxford English Dictionary Online, accessed March 24, 2025, https://www.oed.com/dictionary/tuille_n?tab=meaning_and_use#17447847.

[xxxvi] "Tunic," Oxford English Dictionary Online, accessed March 24, 2025, https://www.oed.com/dictionary/tunic_n?tab=meaning_and_use#17474753.

[xxxvii] "Vambrace," Oxford English Dictionary Online, accessed March 24, 2025, https://www.oed.com/dictionary/vambrace_n?tab=meaning_and_use#15835528.

[xxxviii] "Wimple," Oxford English Dictionary Online, accessed March 24, 2025, https://www.oed.com/dictionary/wimple_n?tab=meaning_and_use#14527259.