Armor

Dressed to Kill

On longer hauberks, the portion of the garment hanging below the waist would usually be slit up the back and front to make it possible for the wearer to ride a horse. Sometimes it would only be slit up the back, which would make it look like a skirt or dress when viewed from the front. Hauberks almost always had short, loose sleeves for better mobility, and a knight's forearms might be protected by separate vambraces of mail or leather.

The knight also wore a mail coif or hood to protect his head and neck, and very often wore a helm on top of the coif as added protection for his skull. Early helms were usually simple conical affairs, sometimes sporting ear-and neck-flaps to protect the knight's vulnerable throat, and a nasal -- a narrow strip of metal extending down the middle of the face -- to serve as a nose guard. Helms would evolve considerably over the years, taking on a variety of shapes and accoutrements.

There were variations on coifs, as well, including an aventail that could be attached to a helm. It was not only important for the knight to wear something over his neck, but the mail should extend down past his collarbone to cover the neck opening of the hauberk.

Mail coverings were made for virtually every part of the body, and in addition to coifs and hauberks, knights often used leggings, foot-coverings, and even gloves of mail. So flexible and adaptable was mail that when plate began to see widespread use, mail was still utilized to cover all the parts that simple plate pieces did not.

The foremost advantage of mail as armor was its defense against bladed weapons; a sword, no matter how sharp, could not easily slash through the metal links. But mail did not make its wearer invulnerable; the force of the blow from a club, mace or sword could still crush the flesh and bones beneath the armor, and a wise warrior wore padding under his mail to increase his protection.

With proper padding, a hauberk, leggings, vambraces, a coif and a helm, the knight was dressed to kill -- and, more importantly, to survive.

Source:  http://historymedren.about.com/homework/historymedren/library/blknighttoc.htm

Brigandine (one needs to imagine there are metal plates sewn in the layers of fabric)

Source:  Pictorial Glossary of Armor Terms

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Arming doublet  Quilted garment worn under armour from the early fifteenth century, equipped with points to attach mail gussets and pieces of armour. Source [3]

Arming points  Ties (usually of flax or twine) by which armour was secured in place.  Source [3]

Baldric an often ornamented belt worn over one shoulder to support a sword or bugle Source: [2]

Bard, or Barding A term for horse armor, which could be made from a variety of materials,
including mail and plate. Source: [1]

Brigandine   A flexible body defence consisting of a large number of metal plates riveted inside a cloth covering. Source [3]

Chausses  Mail protection for the legs, either in the form of mail hose or strips of mail laced round
 the front of the leg. Source [3]

Coif  A hood, usually of mail; by the twelfth century it often incorporated a ventail. Source [3]

Corslet  Also spelt corselet. A light half-armour popular in the sixteenth century for general
  military use (for example, town guards). It consisted of a gorget, breast, back and tassets, full
  arms and gauntlets; the term can also be applied to the cuirass only. Source [3]

Crupper  Defence for a horse's rump. Source [3]

Cuirass/coracia Armor for the upper half of the body which could be made of several materials, and which usually protected the arms as well as the torso.  Source: [1]
Cuirass  Also called pair of curates. A backplate and breastplate designed to be worn together. Source [3]

doublet/wams  Short overgarment, a variation of the pourpoint. Originally it was worn under the pourpoint, and could be cut with or without sleeves.  Source: [1]

Gauntlets Mail or plate defences for the hand. Source: [1]

Gorget/Gorgiere(fr) A plate armor defense designed to protect the neck (french gorge = throat). Source: [1]

Greaves/jambard Plate pieces to protect the lower leg, usually in front, then later in back as well. Source: [1]

Hauberk A mail shirt that varied in length, but in the fourteenth century usually did not reach the knees. Source: [1]   See above

Jambard See greaves.

Jazerant  A coat of defense made of small plates of metal sewed upon linen or the like; also, this
kind of armor taken generally; as, a coat of jazerant. Source:  ?

Nasal  Plate defence on early medieval helmets to cover the nose and middle of the face.
Source: [12]

Rerebrace  Piece of armour covering the upper arm from the elbow to the shoulder. Source [3]

Rowel  a revolving disk with sharp marginal points at the end of a spur (rowelling- to goad with or as if with a rowel)  Source: [2]

Surcoat an outer coat or cloak; specifically : a tunic worn over armor Source: [2]

Vambraces Plate defences for the lower arm. Source: [1]

General Military Terms

Accolade  a light touch on the shoulder with the flat side of the sword or formerly by an embrace, done in the ceremony of conferring knighthood.  2. the ceremony itself.  Source [4]

Battlement a parapet with open spaces that surmounts a wall and is used for defense or decoration  Source: [2]

Brigand  one who lives by plunder usually as a member of a band/ bandit  Source: [2]

Embrasure 1 : an opening with sides flaring outward in a wall or parapet of a fortification usually for allowing the firing of cannon     2 : a recess of a door or window   Source: [2]

Galley  long, narrow vessel widely used in ancient and medieval times,  propelled principally by oars but also fitted with sails.  Source [4]

Lancer  a cavalry soldier armed with a lance.  Source [4]

Man-at-arms  A soldier holding his land in exchange for military service.  Source [7]

Murder holes   gateway or part of a  gatehouse over an entrance  passage, popularly thought  to be used for dropping  missiles or shooting weapons at besiegers, but more probably for dropping water  over the wooden parts of the gates  Source [13]

Pennons a long usually triangular or swallow-tailed streamer typically attached to the head of a lance as an ensign   Source: [2]

Phalanx  a body of heavily armed infantry in ancient Greece formed in close deep ranks and files  Source: [2]

Pike  a shafted weapon having a pointed head, formerly used by infantry   Source [4]

Pikemen  soldiers armed with a pikes.  Source [4]

Rangers one of a body of organized armed men who range over a region especially to enforce the law b : a soldier specially trained in close-range fighting and in raiding tactics  Source: [2]

Reivers Raids.  Scottish, before 12th Century  Source: [2]

Sergeant  A servant who accompanies his lord to battle, or a horseman of lower status used as light cavalry.  Source [7]

Sumpter  a pack animal  Source: [2]

Tanist  the successor apparent to a Celtic chief, usually the oldest or worthiest of his kin, chosen by election among the tribe during the chief 's lifetime.  Source [4]

Tanistry  the system among various Celtic tribes of choosing a tanist.  Source [4]

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[1] Department of  Medieval Studies at Central European University,  Budapest.
[2] Britannica.com
[3] The Arador Armour Library
[4] Infoplease.com
[5] Historical Weapons
[6] Feudalism and Medieval life
[7] Gossary of Medieval Terms
[12]  Arms and Armor of the Medieval Knight: An Illustrated History of Weapons in the Middle Ages by  David Edge & John Miles Paddock / Crescent Books
[13] Scottish Castle Glossary

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