In archery, a triangular piece of cloth or leather inserted into a garment to make it wider or more comfortable to wear during shooting.
From Old English 'gera' or 'gyre,' related to Germanic words meaning 'to turn' or 'to prepare.' The term evolved to describe the shaped panels used in tailoring, especially in protective garments for archers.
Medieval archers had a surprisingly sophisticated understanding of ergonomic clothing—geres weren't just about comfort, they were engineered to give maximum arm movement for drawing bows repeatedly. This is one of history's earliest examples of performance-based clothing design!
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