ailette

A1I1L1E1T1T1E1
/eɪˈlɛt/

noun

A small square piece of armour, normally made of boiled leather, worn on the shoulders of knights.

OriginFrench ailette →
Scrabble 7
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Meanings

nounailette (plural ailettes)

plural ailettes

  1. historicalA small square piece of armour, normally made of boiled leather, worn on the shoulders of knights.

    […]at the back of the shoulder is fixed an ailette

    1858, “Arms, Armour, and Military Usages of the Fourteenth Century”, in The Gentleman's Magazine and Historical Review, volume 205

Origin

  1. Frenchailette
  2. Englishailette

Borrowed from French ailette, diminutive of aile (“wing”).

More words from French

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

French ailette
  • ailettesmall square shield worn on the shoulders
Cite this entry
APA

ailette. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ailette

MLA

“ailette.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ailette. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “ailette,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ailette.

Source: ailette on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.