Definition of cuirass in English:
cuirass
1historical A piece of armour consisting of breastplate and backplate fastened together.
〈史〉（包括胸甲和背甲的）上半身铠甲- The French and Germans experimented with metal cuirasses for machine gunners in World War I; the Americans did not adopt chest armor until World War II, when some bomber crews were provided with ‘flak jackets.’
- An armed figure with Corinthian helmet, cuirass, and greaves, and holding a spear and round shield, runs with a very wide stride behind each chariot.
- He turned his back to Hunter, showing his armor was a breastplate instead of a cuirass like Hunter wore.
- Body armour, in the form of the iron cuirass, continued to be worn throughout much of the 17th century before its eventual demise.
- In the first, Herakles tries out his weapons, still wearing the cuirass that bespeaks military engagement, and in the second, he strips down and turns to physical force alone.
2Medicine
An artificial ventilator which encloses the body, leaving the limbs free, and forces air in and out of the lungs by changes in pressure.〔医〕人工呼吸装置- On other occasions, large differences were observed, and attributed to air leaks due to thorax/abdomen disproportion and poor fit of the cuirass.
- Negative-pressure ventilation using a chest cuirass can also be used for daytime ventilation, although current models are not portable.
- A cuirass ventilator, rocking bed, and pneumobelt are less commonly used.
Origin
Late Middle English: from Old French cuirace, based on late Latin coriaceus (adjective), from corium 'leather' (of which a cuirass was originally made).
Definition of cuirass in US English:
cuirass
1historical A piece of armor consisting of breastplate and backplate fastened together.
〈史〉（包括胸甲和背甲的）上半身铠甲- An armed figure with Corinthian helmet, cuirass, and greaves, and holding a spear and round shield, runs with a very wide stride behind each chariot.
- He turned his back to Hunter, showing his armor was a breastplate instead of a cuirass like Hunter wore.
- The French and Germans experimented with metal cuirasses for machine gunners in World War I; the Americans did not adopt chest armor until World War II, when some bomber crews were provided with ‘flak jackets.’
- Body armour, in the form of the iron cuirass, continued to be worn throughout much of the 17th century before its eventual demise.
- In the first, Herakles tries out his weapons, still wearing the cuirass that bespeaks military engagement, and in the second, he strips down and turns to physical force alone.
- 1.1 A hard protective cover on an animal.
2Medicine
An artificial ventilator which encloses the body, leaving the limbs free, and forces air in and out of the lungs by changes in pressure.〔医〕人工呼吸装置- On other occasions, large differences were observed, and attributed to air leaks due to thorax/abdomen disproportion and poor fit of the cuirass.
- A cuirass ventilator, rocking bed, and pneumobelt are less commonly used.
- Negative-pressure ventilation using a chest cuirass can also be used for daytime ventilation, although current models are not portable.
Origin
Late Middle English: from Old French cuirace, based on late Latin coriaceus (adjective), from corium ‘leather’ (of which a cuirass was originally made).