plastron noun. ['plastrǝn] E16.
[French from Italian piastrone augm. of piastra breastplate from Latin emplastrum PLASTER noun. See also PIASTRE.]
1. a. Hist. A steel breastplate worn beneath a hauberk. E16.
b. A fencer's padded and freq. leather-covered breastplate. Also, a lancer's ornamental covering for the breast, made from facings material. M17.

2. Zoology.
a. The ventral part of the shell of a tortoise or turtle; an analogous ventral plate in other animals. M19.
b. Entomology. A patch of cuticle in an aquatic insect covered with hairs which retain a thin layer of air for breathing under water. M20.

3. a. A kind of ornamental front on a woman's bodice. L19.
b. A man's starched shirt-front. L19.

4. Ornithology. A coloured area on the breast or belly of a bird, resembling a shield. L19.

■ plastral adjective of or pertaining to a plastron L19.

[TahlilGaran] English Dictionary ▲