Gorget
/ˈɡɔːr.dʒɪt/noun
A piece of armor or a decorative collar worn around the throat; also, the throat itself in older usage.
Did you know?Gorget comes from the same French root as *gorge* “throat,” which ultimately traces back to a Latin word for the throat and became a term for protective armor because it guarded the body’s most exposed passage.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
gurges
“A whirlpool, abyss, or deep pit; later associated in Romance languages with the throat/gullet sense via sound and semantic development”
Old French
Old French
gorge
“Throat, gullet; also a neck covering or collar”
Middle French
Middle French
gorgette
“A little throat piece; a small throat-guard or collar”
14th Century
English
gorget
“A piece of armor protecting the throat and neck”
Modern English
English
gorget
“A throat guard in armor or a decorative collar; also the throat in historical or poetic use”
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