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cuisse (KWIS) or cuish (KWISH) - n., plate armor protecting the thigh.
Often seen in the plural cuisses/cuishes, because a suit of armor has two of them -- it's a pants thing. Earlier forms were simply padding or leather, but by the 15th century, when plate armor was worn in its fullest form, this was a cylinder of steel in two pieces, hinged two open along the length of the thigh. The word is identical to the modern French cuisse, thigh, but evolved there semi-independently after being borrowed in the 13th century from Old French quisseuz or cuisseus, thigh, from Latin coxa, hip.
---L.
Often seen in the plural cuisses/cuishes, because a suit of armor has two of them -- it's a pants thing. Earlier forms were simply padding or leather, but by the 15th century, when plate armor was worn in its fullest form, this was a cylinder of steel in two pieces, hinged two open along the length of the thigh. The word is identical to the modern French cuisse, thigh, but evolved there semi-independently after being borrowed in the 13th century from Old French quisseuz or cuisseus, thigh, from Latin coxa, hip.
---L.
