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cham·fron

(chămfrən)

A piece of armor used to protect the front of a horse's head in late medieval times.

[Middle English chaumfrein, shamfron, from Old French chanfrein : Latin cāmus, horse-muzzle, heavy necklace (from Greek kēmos) + Latin frēnum, bridle, bit; see FRENUM.]

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chamfron

c. 1540 English chamfron

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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