almain rivetn.
/ˌalmeɪn ˈrɪvɪt/, U.S. /ˌælmeɪn ˈrɪvᵻt/ Now chiefly historical.
A kind of flexible light armour, originating in Germany, and featuring overlapping plates sliding on rivets; a suit or piece of this armour.
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society > armed hostility > military equipment > armour > [noun] > plate- or scale-armour
platec1390
almain rivet1512
rivet1548
bards1551
plate armour1656
scale-armour1842
scale1853
1512 Indenture (BL Campbell Charter viii. 18) Two thowsand complete harnesse callyd almayne Ryvettes..accomptyng alwey a salet a gorjet a brest plate a bak plate and a payre of splyntes for euery complete harnesse.
1530 J. Palsgrave Lesclarcissement 516 He hath dygged hym in nat withstandyng his almayne ryvettes, nonobstant ses cuirasses.
1531 in J. Raine Testamenta Eboracensia (1884) V. 244 Item lego eidem Willelmo unum le Alman ryvet; et Christofero Conyers unum le Alman revet.
1565 in J. Raine Wills & Inventories Archdeaconry Richmond (1853) 179 j almon revet..j shafe of arrowes, and other hustlements xxvjs. viijd.
1591 W. Garrard & R. Hitchcock Arte of Warre 10 The forepart of a Corslet and a Headpeece, as is the Almaine Rivet.
1635 G. Tooke Legend of Brita-mart sig. C4 To beginne with armes defensive, I must here commence my Plea against Hufkins, Almayne Rivets, both evidently guilty.
1742 N. Bailey Universal Etymol. Eng. Dict. Almain Rivets, a certain light kind of Armour with Plates of Iron for the Defence of the Arms; used by Germans.
1786 F. Grose Treat. Anc. Armour 22 A defence for the arms, called Splints, constituted part of the suit denominated an Almaine Ryvett.
1834 J. R. Planché Hist. Brit. Costume 253 Black bill-men or halberdiers, who wore the armour called almain rivet.
1863 National Rev. Apr. 330 Bishops and noblemen..were either occupied in mustering their retainers, or in discussing the merits of Almain rivets, apostles, and falconets.
1931 F. M. Kelly & F. Schwabe Short Hist. Costume & Armour II. 75 The lighter almain rivet may possibly have been of the anima type, i.e., with a flexible cuirass of overlapping horizontal bands of steel.
2001 Hist. Jrnl. 44 615 Costs were inflated in the 1560s as corslets replaced almain rivets and calivers arquebuses.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2012; most recently modified version published online December 2021).
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