brigandine

Armour formed by the covering of small plates with cloth. Usually these were attached with rivets ; an excellent and popular defense for the body and upper legs during the 14th century, as evidenced by the massive find at Wisby, where thousands of bodies were buried in a peat bog in 1365. Brigandine coverings might be used for body defenses , cuisses , vambraces ; are easy to produce and to fit. Because of this, they were popular with the lesser nobility of Europe and the man-at-arms. Sometimes they were covered in leather , and other times cloth was used. The cloth could be painted or a bright dye could be selected to give an individualistic edge to the decoration. Brigandines should be distinguished from the Jack popular in the 15th century, a coat of cloth or leather lined with many small plates.

(also brigantine) 1. metal splints sewed upon canvas, linen, or leather and covered with similar materials; a material used in making light armour; a "pair of brigandines" is a body-coat of this material, in two pieces 2. defensive jacket of metal plates on cloth 3. a canvas or leather jacket with small plates of metal stitched inside