In heraldry, a piece of armor protecting the lower face and neck, particularly from the 13th-14th centuries.
From Old French 'barbe' (beard), because the armor was meant to protect the beard area. The term was used in medieval English for this specific piece of defensive equipment that covered the lower face.
Medieval knights wore 'barbes' to protect their faces, but here's the irony: the word comes from 'beard,' yet wearing one meant you couldn't actually show your beard—you were just protecting where it would have been!
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