n. 1. Electricity a. The rotating part of a dynamo, consisting essentially of copper wire wound around an iron core. b. The part of an electromagnetic, optical, or other device that moves to establish a point of contact, especially to read or write data, as on a hard drive. c. A piece of soft iron connecting the poles of a magnet. 2. Biology A protective covering, structure, or organ of an animal or a plant, such as teeth, claws, thorns, or the shell of a turtle. 3. A framework serving as a supporting core for the material used to make a sculpture. [Middle English, armor, from Old French, from Latin armātūra, equipment, from armātus, past participle of armāre, to arm; see ARM2.] |
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