mentonnière

English

Etymology

From French mentonnière.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˌmɛn.tənˈjɛɚ/, (older, gallicized) /ˌmɑn.tɔnˈjɛɚ/

Noun

mentonnière (plural mentonnières)

1. (historical) An item of armor protecting the chin, often identified with or used interchangeably with the bevor.
   • 1901, Wallace Collection (London, England), Sir Guy Francis Laking, Catalogue of the European Armour and Arms in the Wallace Collection at Hertford House, page 88:

     Tilting Helmet, composed of a closed helmet and large mentonière. The skull has a low roped comb, the chin piece opens down the front, the vizor is strongly reinforced by an extra plate on the forehead, […]

Alternative forms

• mentonniere, mentonière, mentoniere

Translations

chin armor — see also bevor

French: mentonnière (fr) f

References

• William Dwight Whitney, Benjamin E[li] Smith, editors (1911), “mentonnière”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC.
• “mentonnière”, in Dictionary.com Unabridged, Dictionary.com, LLC, 1995–present.

French

Etymology

From menton (“chin”) +‎ -ière.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mɑ̃.tɔ.njɛʁ/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛʁ
• Homophone: mentonnières

Noun

mentonnière f (plural mentonnières)

1. (historical) beaver (lower part of a helmet)
   • 1836, Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, chapter XLV, in Louis Viardot, transl., L’Ingénieux Hidalgo Don Quichotte de la Manche, volume I, Paris: J[acques]-J[ulien] Dubochet et C^ie, éditeurs, […], →OCLC:

     « Et je dis aussi que bien que ce soit un armet, ce n’est pas un armet entier. ¶ – Non certes, s’écria don Quichotte, car il lui manque une moitié, qui est la mentonnière. »

     "And I say that as much as it is a helmet, it is not an entire helmet" ¶ "Certainly not," exclaimed Don Quixote, "as it is missing a half, which is the beaver."

2. (music, lutherie) chinrest

Further reading

• “mentonnière”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.