armour
gb/ˈɑɹmɚ/ us/ˈɑɹmɚ/
B1
English
~ 5800
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B1
entity
1
protective battle covering for the body
Heavy, hard clothing that covers the body to keep a person safe in war or in dangerous action scenes.
Usage pattern:
to wear armour
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse “armour” with “weapon”. Armour protects the body, while weapons are used to attack (like guns, swords, or knives). Another common mistake is spelling: British English uses “armour”, while American English uses “armor”.
Synonyms
body armor (Same meaning but usually refers to modern protective vests; US spelling and more focused on torso protection.)
|
protective gear (More general; includes helmets, pads, and other equipment, not only hard metal covering.)
Antonyms
exposure (Emphasizes being left without protection, especially in a dangerous situation.)
|
vulnerability (Focuses on being easily hurt because there is no physical protection.)
Collocations
suit of armour
|body armour
|knight in armour
|put on armour
|take off his armour
|protective armour
Themes
warfare
|history
|fantasy
|law
|work
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The knight’s armour was so heavy that he could barely move.
- Modern riot police wear body armour to protect themselves from stones and bottles.
- The museum has a rare suit of armour from the 15th century.
- Under his armour, the soldier wore special padding to absorb the impact.
- In the game, you need better armour before fighting the dragon.
Learner examples
- The knight wears metal armour on his body.
- Police officers sometimes wear body armour to stay safe.
- We saw a suit of armour in the old castle.
- His armour protects him from the enemy’s arrows.
- In the film, the hero puts on his armour before the big fight.
Noun
B2
entity
2
protective plating on vehicles
Thick hard metal on the outside of a car, tank, or other machine that keeps it safe from bullets and explosions.
Usage pattern:
armour on [a vehicle]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think this sense only refers to tanks, but it can also describe protection on other vehicles, ships, and even buildings or equipment in military contexts.
Synonyms
armored plating (More explicitly refers to attached metal plates; common in technical or military contexts.)
|
protective plating (More general; may be used outside a military context as well.)
Antonyms
unarmoured (Describes vehicles without protective plating; often used technically (e.g. “unarmoured car”).)
|
lightly protected (Indicates minimal or weak protection rather than none at all.)
Collocations
tank armour
|armour plating
|heavy armour
|thick armour
|armour protection
|frontal armour
Themes
warfare
|technology
|transport
|transportation
|law
Examples
- The tank’s front armour is designed to withstand direct hits.
- Engineers are upgrading the vehicle’s armour to protect against roadside bombs.
- Extra armour was added to the doors to improve crew safety.
- Despite its thick armour, the old personnel carrier was still vulnerable from above.
- Modern warships use lighter materials instead of traditional steel armour.
Learner examples
- The tank has very thick armour on the front.
- They added more armour to the car to keep the soldiers safe.
- The armour on the vehicle stopped the bullets.
- Engineers are working on stronger armour for the new tank.
- Without good armour, the truck is easy to destroy.
Noun
technical
B2
entity
3
natural protective outer covering
A hard natural cover on an animal’s body that keeps it safe, like the hard back of an armadillo or a beetle.
Usage pattern:
natural armour on [an animal]
Common mistake:
Learners may think “armour” in this sense is always metal, but here it is natural and part of the animal’s body. It is not something the animal “wears” like clothes.
Synonyms
shell (Common everyday word for the hard outer covering of some animals, especially turtles and snails; not used for all types of natural armour.)
|
carapace (Technical term used in biology for the hard upper shell of some animals.)
Antonyms
soft body (Emphasizes the lack of a hard protective cover in contrast to animals with armour.)
Collocations
natural armour
|bony armour
|protective armour
|armour plates
|armour-like shell
|armour of scales
Themes
biology
|nature
|science
|animals
|body
Examples
- The armadillo’s armour allows it to curl into a tight ball when threatened.
- Many dinosaurs had bony armour along their backs for protection.
- The beetle’s shiny armour helps shield it from predators.
- These fish are covered in a tough armour of overlapping scales.
- Crabs rely on their hard armour to stay safe from larger animals.
Learner examples
- An armadillo has strong armour on its back.
- Some dinosaurs had hard armour to protect their bodies.
- The crab’s armour keeps it safe from other animals.
- This insect’s armour is very hard and shiny.
- The fish has a kind of armour made of small scales.
Noun
C1
state
4
emotional or psychological protection
The way a person closes their feelings and protects their heart so they do not feel pain or get hurt inside.
Usage pattern:
armour against [emotional harm]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes read this figurative sense as literal and imagine real metal armour. In this meaning, “armour” is about emotions and behaviour, not physical objects.
Synonyms
defence (Broad term for ways of protecting oneself; can be physical or emotional, not limited to inner feelings.)
|
shield (Often used figuratively like “armour” to describe something that blocks emotional pain.)
Antonyms
openness (Emphasizes a willingness to share feelings, the opposite of hiding behind emotional armour.)
|
vulnerability (Focuses on being emotionally exposed and easily hurt, without protective armour.)
Collocations
emotional armour
|protective armour
|put on armour
|lower her armour
|behind his armour
|armor of sarcasm
Themes
emotions
|psychology
|relationships
|health
Examples
- Humour was his armour, hiding how anxious he really felt.
- Over the years she built a strong armour around her emotions.
- In therapy he slowly began to take off his armour and talk honestly about his fears.
- Her confidence was a kind of armour against criticism.
- Behind his tough armour, he is actually very sensitive.
Learner examples
- His jokes are his armour so people cannot see his pain.
- She wears emotional armour and does not show her feelings.
- He slowly takes off his armour and starts to talk about his problems.
- Her smile is like armour that hides her true feelings.
- Without his emotional armour, he feels very weak.
Verb
technical
C1
action
5
to cover with protective armour
To put strong hard material on something so that bullets, explosions, or other things cannot easily hurt it.
Usage pattern:
to armour [something] against [something]
Common mistake:
Learners may try to use “armour” as a verb in everyday contexts (e.g. “armour my phone”), where “protect” or “cover” sound more natural. The verb “armour” is mainly used for vehicles, doors, glass, and similar in technical or formal contexts.
Synonyms
reinforce (More general; means to make something stronger, not always by adding armour.)
|
fortify (Often used for buildings or positions; suggests strengthening against attack, sometimes beyond just adding armour.)
Antonyms
expose (To leave something without protection, the opposite of armouring it.)
|
strip (As in “strip of armour”; to remove protective layers that were providing safety.)
Collocations
armour a vehicle
|armour the doors
|armour against attack
|armoured glass
|armoured car
|armoured personnel carrier
Themes
warfare
|technology
|engineering
|law
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Engineers were asked to armour the trucks against roadside bombs.
- The company specialises in armouring civilian vehicles for high-risk areas.
- They plan to armour the cockpit doors to prevent hijack attempts.
- New materials make it cheaper to armour light vehicles.
- The glass was armoured to resist small-arms fire.
Learner examples
- They armour the car so it is safe in war.
- The company armours many trucks for the army.
- We need to armour the doors against attacks.
- Engineers will armour the vehicle with strong metal plates.
- The bank wants to armour its windows with special glass.
Grammar
Dictionary form
armour
IPA
GB/ˈɑɹmɚ/
US/ˈɑɹmɚ/
Syllables & stress
ar - mour (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (ar)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: armour
- Plural: armour
Word family
Core family
armoured
adjective
Related words
armoury
noun B2
Negative and opposite forms
unarmoured
adjective
Advanced or less common
armourer
noun
Expressions
body armour
1/bˈɑdi ˈɑɹmɚ/
fixed phrase
protective clothing for the torso
Strong protective clothing, often a vest, that covers the chest and back to stop bullets or other hits.
Examples
- Police officers were wearing body armour during the protest.
- The new body armour is lighter but still stops most bullets.
- Journalists in the war zone were given helmets and body armour.
knight in shining armour
1/nˈaɪt ˈɪn ʃˈaɪnɪŋ ˈɑɹmɚ/
idiom
person who rescues or saves you
Someone who comes at the right time and helps you in a big way, often when you are in trouble or feel weak.
Examples
- When my car broke down in the rain, a stranger stopped and helped, like a knight in shining armour.
- She was hoping for a knight in shining armour to solve all her problems, but she had to fix them herself.
- He became a knight in shining armour for the local businesses by offering free legal help.
suit of armour
1/sˈut əv ˈɑɹmɚ/
fixed phrase
complete metal protective clothing
A full set of metal clothes that covers almost the whole body to protect a person, usually a knight, in battle.
Examples
- The museum displays a 500-year-old suit of armour.
- It took several people to lift the heavy suit of armour onto the stand.
- As a child, he dreamed of wearing a suit of armour and fighting dragons.