passguard

plural passguards

1. historicalAn L-shaped piece of armor worn over one arm (typically the left arm), which generally kept it in a bent position and protected it during jousts.

   The passguard is much larger than that worn in jousting at the tilt, reaching nearly to the left shoulder.

   2013, R. Coltman Clephan, The Medieval Tournament, Courier Corporation, →ISBN

   2 more examples

   Upon a like horse, one armour cap-a-pe, engraven with a ragged staffe, made for the Earl of Leicester, a mainguard, passguard, manifare and gauntlet; the horse's furniture being a chafron, crinet, and breastplate of the ...

   1896, Great Britain. Royal Commission on Historical Manuscripts, Eleventh Report: Appendix. The manuscripts of the Earl of Dartmouth, page 5

   […] fastened to it by a clasp at the back and a linch pin in front; the passguard, or elbow-piece; and the bridle-gauntlet.

   1902, Numismatic and Antiquarian Society of Philadelphia, Proceedings of the Numismatic and Antiquarian Society of Philadelphia, page 156

   Synonyms: pasguard

2. A ridge or an additional plate on a shoulder piece, to turn the blow of a weapon away from the neck or joint of the armor.

   -Cuirass rounded and projecting

   1846, Lincolnshire Architectural and Archaeological Society (LINCOLN), The first (second, fourth-sixth) report of the Lincolnshire Society for the Encouragement of Ecclesiastical Architecture, page 38

   2 more examples

   Epaulières re-appear on the shoulders, but pauldrons are also used, with the inner parts turned up: these are called passguards. The coutes are larger than we often have them at this period. […]

   1894, David Herbert Somerset Cranage, An Architectural Account of the Churches of Shropshire

   The knight's head rests upon his tilting-helmet, under which is a cushion. The helmet bears the crest an elephant's head […] The epaulières have ridges called passguards to protect the neck, and upon the breast ...

   1886, The Midland Naturalist: Journal of the Midland Union of Natural History Societies with which is Incorporated the Entire Transactions of the Birmingham Natural History and Microscopical Society, page 108

   Synonyms: neck guard, passegarde, garde-collet, haute piece, pikeguard, swordbreaker