armor plate

or armor plating

noun

1. a plate or plating of specially hardened steel used to cover warships, tanks, aircraft, fortifications, etc., to protect them from enemy fire.

Other Words From

• armor·plated adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of armor plate¹

First recorded in 1860–65

Example Sentences

A military piece like a plate carrier vest — which would hold body armor plates — requires a little more work.

From Los Angeles Times

Weighing less than half a pound each, they contain an explosive warhead that will fire a jet of molten metal downward capable of penetrating two and a half inches of armor plate.

From New York Times

Because the bulk of Dunkleosteus’s body was most likely composed of fragile cartilage, only the thick armor plates that encased its head and neck were preserved as fossils.

From New York Times

Others have adapted by relocating to places like Lviv, or changing their output to fill new wartime demands, like the lingerie seamstresses who have switched to sewing cloth vests to fit body armor plates.

From New York Times

They discovered several broken and healed armor plates concentrated around the creature’s hips that lacked any clear signs of disease or predation.

From New York Times