a tight-fitting medieval garment covering the feet and legs, usually made of chain mail
Word origin
C15: from Old French chauces, plural of chauce leg-covering, from Medieval Latin calcea, from Latin calceus shoe, from calx heel
chausses in American English
(ʃous)
noun(used with a pl. v.)
1.
medieval armor of mail for the legs and feet
2.
tights worn by men in medieval times over the legs and feet
Word origin
[1350–1400; ME chauces ‹ MF, pl. of chauce ‹‹ L calceus shoe, equiv. to calc- (s. of calx) heel + -eus-eous]This word is first recorded in the period 1350–1400. Other words that entered Englishat around the same time include: drag, fix, index, negative, tune