noun
- A padded defensive jacket or tunic worn under or instead of armor, especially in medieval times.
Usage: historical; also called a doublet or aketon in some contexts
Examples
- The knight wore a gambeson beneath his plate armor for extra protection.
- Medieval soldiers often relied on a gambeson as their primary defense when they could not afford full armor.
- The gambeson's thick padding helped absorb the impact of sword blows.
- Archaeologists discovered remnants of a gambeson in the castle ruins.
- Even common foot soldiers wore a gambeson to protect themselves in battle.