Meaning & use
suit of mail
Last updated
UK/ˌsuːt əv ˈmeɪl/
US/ˌsuːt əv ˈmeɪl/
Meaning
nouncountable
A complete set of armor made of interlocking metal rings, worn to protect the body in battle.
Grammar: Countable; the plural is suits of mail. Often used with 'wear' or 'put on'.
Patterns
- wear a suit of mail
- put on a suit of mail
- a knight in a suit of mail
The knight wore a heavy suit of mail under his tunic.
Museum visitors can see a well-preserved suit of mail from the 14th century.
Word forms
| plural | suits of mail |
|---|
Common combinations
- wear a suit of mail
- He wore a suit of mail for the battle reenactment.
- a knight in a suit of mail
- The painting shows a knight in a suit of mail.
- heavy suit of mail
- The heavy suit of mail made it hard to move quickly.
Synonyms and how they differ
- chain mail
- More common today; refers to the material or the armor made of interlocking rings.
- Shorter form; can also mean letters and packages, so context is needed.
Word family
- mail noun
- Armor made of metal rings; also letters and parcels.
Commonly confused: suit of mail or suit of armor?
suit of mail vs suit of armor
A general term for a full set of armor, which may be made of plate or mail.
Practice
What is a 'suit of mail'?
Choose one answer.
A suit of mail is historical armor made of rings. Option A confuses 'mail' with letters, option C confuses 'suit' with clothing, and option D describes modern protective gear.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “suit of mail”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.
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