greave

Meaning

Noun

A piece of armour that protects the leg, especially the shin, and occasionally the tops of the feet.

Verb

To clean (a ship's bottom); to grave.

Synonyms

jambeau

jamb

cnemis

Translations

greva

grève

🏦

cnémide

jambière

Cnémide

schiniere

greba

greva

baldır zırhı

Schienbeinschützer

περικνήμιο οπλίτου

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ɡɹiːv/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: greve

Cognate with Egyptian Arabic: جورب

In summary

From Middle English greve, grayve, from Old French greve (“shin”), of uncertain origin; possibly from Egyptian Arabic جورب (“stocking, leg cover”). Watkins suggests a connection with greve (“part in the hair”), due to the resemblance of the medial ridge to a part in the hair, from graver (“to part (the hair); engrave”), of Germanic origin, from Frankish *graban (“to engrave”); if so, related to Etymology 2 above.