A piece of armor that protects the neck and is attached to a suit of plate armor.
From French 'crinière' (mane of a horse) through Old French, possibly influenced by Latin 'crinis' (hair). The term transferred from the horse's protective mane to human armor design.
The crinet is one of dozens of oddly-named armor pieces—each one protecting a vulnerable joint or gap. It's a fascinating example of how specialized vocabulary develops in fields like medieval history and reenactment, creating a secret language of metal and protection.
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