Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A piece of armor used to protect the front of a horse's head in late medieval times.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun The defensive armor of the front part of the head of a war-horse.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun (Anc. Armor) The frontlet, or head armor, of a horse.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun Protective armor for a horse's head, especially the face and ears.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun medieval plate armor to protect a horse's head

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English chaumfrein, shamfron, from Old French chanfrein : Latin cāmus, horse-muzzle, heavy necklace (from Greek kēmos) + Latin frēnum, bridle, bit; see frenum.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Old French chanfrain, presumably from champ, chanp ("field, battle field") + frein ("bit (between a horse's teeth)").

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Examples

  • a stroke on his head, which, glancing from the polished helmet, lighted with violence scarcely abated on the "chamfron" of the steed, and

    Ivanhoe Walter Scott 1801

  • He rode, not a mule, like his companion, but a strong hackney for the road, to save his gallant war-horse, which a squire led behind, fully accoutred for battle, with a chamfron or plaited head-piece upon his head, having a short spike projecting from the front.

    Ivanhoe 2004

  • A huge black chaliko all armored in gold looked down at him, its benign eyes peering from the openings of a gilded chamfron.

    The Golden Torc May, Julian, 1931- 1981

  • It was high time; for, while the Disinherited Knight was pressing upon the Templar, Front-de-Boeuf had got nigh to him with his uplifted sword; but ere the blow could descend, the Sable Knight dealt a stroke on his head, which, glancing from the polished helmet, lighted with violence scarcely abated on the chamfron [84-16] of the steed, and

    Journeys Through Bookland, Vol. 6 Charles Herbert Sylvester

  • So silent and still were they, that they might have been metal - sheathed statues, were it not for the occasional quick, impatient stamp of their chargers, or the rattle of chamfron against neck - plates as they tossed and strained.

    The White Company Doyle, Arthur Conan, Sir, 1859-1930 1902

  • So silent and still were they, that they might have been metal - sheathed statues, were it not for the occasional quick, impatient stamp of their chargers, or the rattle of chamfron against neck - plates as they tossed and strained.

    The White Company Doyle, Arthur Conan, Sir, 1859-1930 1902

  • So silent and still were they, that they might have been metal-sheathed statues, were it not for the occasional quick, impatient stamp of their chargers, or the rattle of chamfron against neck-plates as they tossed and strained.

    The White Company Arthur Conan Doyle 1894

  • So silent and still were they, that they might have been metal-sheathed statues, were it not for the occasional quick, impatient stamp of their chargers, or the rattle of chamfron against neck-plates as they tossed and strained.

    The White Company 1890

  • It was high time; for, while the Disinherited Knight was pressing upon the Templar, Front-de-Boeuf had got nigh to him with his uplifted sword; but ere the blow could descend, the Sable Knight dealt a stroke on his head, which, glancing from the polished helmet, lighted with violence scarcely abated on the chamfron of the steed, and Front-de-Boeuf rolled on the ground, both horse and man equally stunned by the fury of the blow.

    Ivanhoe. A Romance 1819

  • He rode, not a mule, like his companion, but a strong hackney for the road, to save his gallant war-horse, which a squire led behind, fully accoutred for battle, with a chamfron or plaited head-piece upon his head, having a short spike projecting from the front.

    Ivanhoe Walter Scott 1801

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