couter

A piece of armor which covers the elbow.

Noun historical

  1. A piece of armor which covers the elbow.
    • Helmets should be started in 10 or 12 gauge, couters and knees in 14 gauge. - 2000, Brian Price, Techniques of Medieval Armour Reproduction: The 14th Century, →ISBN:
    • Full rerebraces enclosed the entire upper arm, with a hinge to allow them to be opened and straps and buckles to fasten them shut. Below the rerebrace was the elbow piece called a couter. The couter was small and...
    • For example, it is unlikely that the right couter could be damaged or that it could be hit at all if the jouster had a large protective vamplate in place on his lance, though by the same token the folio of the...

Origin

From Middle English couter, said to be from an Anglo-French variant couter, cuter of continental French coudière, from coute (“elbow”).

Forms

couters coutere cowter

Noun obsolete, slang

  1. A sovereign (the coin).

Origin

Perhaps from "Danubian-Gipsy cuta, gold coin", compare Romani kotor (“piece, fragment”), reportedly used for a guinea.

Forms

couters cooter