Cataphract

Quick meaning: Cataphract is a noun meaning (ichthyology, by extension, obsolete) An outer covering of some fish resembling armour or plate.

Meaning

(ichthyology, by extension, obsolete) An outer covering of some fish resembling armour or plate.

More Meanings

1. (nautical, historical) Of a galley such as a trireme: with the upper tier of rowers shielded rather than exposed.
2. (military, historical) A soldier (especially a horseman) covered with a cataphract (etymology 1, sense 1).
3. A galley with the upper tier of rowers shielded.
4. (military, historical) Defensive armour covering the entire body of a soldier and often the soldier's horse as well, especially the linked mail or scale armour of some eastern nations.

Example Sentences

Carmine streaks stained their limbs, their tunics and cataphracts; but little of the blood was theirs. They did not move like people with injuries.

Immediately / Was Samſon as a public ſervant brought, / In thir ſtate Livery clad; before him Pipes / and Timbrels, on each ſide went armed guards, / Both horſe and foot before him and behind / Archers, and Slingers, Cataphracts and Spears.

Lucullus also had these [the cavalry of Cappadocia and Paphlagonia] in his army at the siege of Tigranocerta; and in the battle with Tigranes made choice of them and the Thracian horse to attack the Cataphracts, the choicest of the enemy's cavalry, and to drive them from the ground.

Ælian calls the heavy-armed infantry, ὁπλίται, hoplitæ; and the heavy horse soldiers, καταφρακτοι, cataphracti;—we denominate the former completely-armed troops, and the latter cuirassiers.— [...] The cuirassiers carried targets and used pikes. The Parthian cataphracts had also bows and arrows.

Word Forms

• cataphracts

Antonyms for cataphract

Common opposites include aphract.

Related Words

Related dictionary entries include armplate, panoply, chamfron, overplate, armoury, barding.

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