ENGLISH
REFERENCE

mailed

adj.
US //ˈmeɪɫd// UK //mˈeɪld// mailed
  1. 1 wearing armor (adj.)
    C2 Proficiency Archaic Literary

    wearing armor made of small metal rings or scales.

    clad in or protected by chainmail or similar flexible metal armor.

    Example

    The mailed knight rode his horse into the castle courtyard.

    Example

    The mailed fist of the conqueror became a symbol of the harsh military rule that followed the invasion.

    Teacher's tip

    This sense is almost exclusively found in historical fiction or fantasy literature; modern speakers use 'armored' for general protection.
Etymology 1

From mail (“send by post”).

Etymology 2

From Middle English mayled; equivalent to mail (“chainmail; spot on a bird's feather”) + -ed.

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