Meanings
plural goussets · alternative gusset
- A small piece of mail, providing some protection where two plates of armor are joined, usually at the elbows, under the shoulders, and behind the knees.
At the joint, or bending of the arm, the vambraces were cut obliquely, the vacancies on the inside, when the arms were streightened, were covered by pieces of mail callet [sic] Goussets, and afterwards by a contrivance of plates resembling hearts.
1786, Francis Grose, A Treatise on Ancient Armour and Weapons, page 22
Origin
- Frenchgousset
- Frenchgousset
- Englishgousset
Borrowed from French gousset.
More words from French
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
gousset. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gousset
“gousset.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gousset. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “gousset,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gousset.
Source: gousset on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.