Definitions

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

  • noun plural The unmelted residue left after animal fat has been rendered.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • See graves.
  • Armor, made of metal, and lined with some soft substance, worn to protect the front of the leg below the knee.
  • Boots; buskins.

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

  • noun plural The sediment of melted tallow. It is made into cakes for dogs' food. In Scotland it is called cracklings.

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

  • noun The unmeltable residue left after animal fat has been rendered.
  • noun Plural form of greave.

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

  • noun the residue that remains after animal fat has been rendered

Etymologies

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

[From Low German greven.]

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Examples

  • [Page 164] 'Tarena; but for "greaves," wearing no leg-armor themselves, they had no synonym.

    Pharaohs, Fellahs and Explorers 1891

  • They fastened their breastplates, in war, over their smocks, and had other armour covering the lower parts of the body, and leg armour called "greaves"; while the great shield which guarded the whole body from throat to ankles was carried by a broad belt slung round the neck.

    Tales of Troy: Ulysses, the sacker of cities Andrew Lang 1878

  • Each hoplite was a proud citizen who could afford to equip himself with a bronze helmet, a thick breastplate, greaves to protect the legs, and an iron-tipped spear eight to ten feet long used for thrusting, not throwing.

    Alexander the Great Philip Freeman 2011

  • Each hoplite was a proud citizen who could afford to equip himself with a bronze helmet, a thick breastplate, greaves to protect the legs, and an iron-tipped spear eight to ten feet long used for thrusting, not throwing.

    Alexander the Great Philip Freeman 2011

  • Then you lace up the greaves to protect your ankles.

    Can You Survive The Zombie Apocalypse? Max Brallier 2011

  • Then you lace up the greaves to protect your ankles.

    Can You Survive The Zombie Apocalypse? Max Brallier 2011

  • Each hoplite was a proud citizen who could afford to equip himself with a bronze helmet, a thick breastplate, greaves to protect the legs, and an iron-tipped spear eight to ten feet long used for thrusting, not throwing.

    Alexander the Great Philip Freeman 2011

  • Treasures and trophies lined the walls in large unruly piles: crowns of gold; glittering jewels; goblets and chalices; swords and shields; bronze helmets and greaves.

    THE 5 GREATEST WARRIORS MATTHEW REILLY 2010

  • Hundreds of maces, axes, daggers, swords, knives, and even a few pistols hung on the walls, as well as a collection of different kinds of armor, from greaves worn to protect the shins to full suits of chain mail.

    Clockwork Angel Cassandra Clare 2010

  • His legs were positioned in a wide war stance, his body battle-ready, with a bronze cuirass and greaves.

    Blood Trinity Sherrilyn Kenyon 2010

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