Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A band or badge worn around the upper arm.
  • noun A piece of armor covering the arm, especially from elbow to shoulder.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun an armor plate that protects the arm.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun An insignia or band worn around the upper arm.
  • noun An armor plate that protects the arm.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun armor plate that protects the arm

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[French, from Old French bras, arm, from Latin brācchium; see brachium.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From French bras ("arm") and brassard

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Examples

  • A month ago he would have had doubts about the meaning of "brassard"; now it seemed to be the very keyword for national organisation.

    Mr. Britling Sees It Through 1906

  • An MP had left his black-and-white brassard; next to the brassard, a member of the Third Infantry had propped his buff strap and Old Guard cockade.

    Bobby and Jackie C. David Heymann 2009

  • An MP had left his black-and-white brassard; next to the brassard, a member of the Third Infantry had propped his buff strap and Old Guard cockade.

    Bobby and Jackie C. David Heymann 2009

  • An MP had left his black-and-white brassard; next to the brassard, a member of the Third Infantry had propped his buff strap and Old Guard cockade.

    Bobby and Jackie C. David Heymann 2009

  • Please let me know what you think, thanks theresa brassard

    ON THE RADAR: Tuesday 2008

  • Yet another white-button-shirt paced in my direction, his green peace-brassard hanging loose.

    365 tomorrows » One Step Forward… : A New Free Flash Fiction SciFi Story Every Day 2006

  • Yet another white-button-shirt paced in my direction, his green peace-brassard hanging loose.

    365 tomorrows » 2006 » December : A New Free Flash Fiction SciFi Story Every Day 2006

  • He had a badge in his cap and on his arm a brassard with the royal escutcheon; he invariably honoured me with a stiff, military salute which increased my importance in the hotel at the expense of my reputation as an innocent and unofficial man of letters.

    The Complete Stories Waugh, Evelyn 1998

  • They fired at the men who were bearing off the wounded in litters; they fired at the doctors who came to the front, and at the chaplains who started to hold burial service; the conspicuous Red Cross brassard worn by all of these non-combatants, instead of serving as a protection, seemed to make them the special objects of the guerilla fire.

    The Rough Riders Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919 1992

  • Personnel must wear a blue helmet liner or blue beret with UN badge, blue brassard or armband, shoulder patch, blue scarf, and identity card.

    FM 7-98 Chapter 4 - Peacekeeping United States Army 1992

Comments

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  • "A Slav warman as gallant as Galahad (and D'Artagnan) clasps a scabbard and draws a katana that can smash a man's brassards and slash a man's flancards."

    Eunoia by Christian Bök (upgraded edition), p 28

    May 20, 2010

  • JM is tired of wearing his brassard on his sleeve so he’s putting it in his pocket.

    April 25, 2011

  • Put trust in no helmet or brassard

    For life is a game played at hazard,

    So fate's subtle arts

    Will find softer parts

    And kick your incompetent ass hard.

    July 25, 2017