Do you speak a little Latin when you say 'armature'?

'Armature' is a word borrowed from Latin 'armare'. The word entered the English language some time around the 15th century.

armature [noun] [15th century]

• an organ or structure (as teeth or thorns) for offense or defense
• a piece of soft iron or steel that connects the poles of a magnet or of adjacent magnets
• a usually rotating part of an electric machine (as a generator or motor) which consists essentially of coils of wire ar...
• the movable part of an electromagnetic device (as a loudspeaker)

See 'armature' on the Loan Words Map

See more loan words from Latin.

note: Late Middle English: from French from Latin armatura ‘armour’ from armare ‘to arm’. The original sense was ‘armour’ hence ‘protective covering’ (armature early 18th century) later ‘keeper of a magnet’ source of armature (mid 19th century).
Etymology: Middle English, armor, from Latin 'armatura' armor, equipment, from 'armatus'

See more loan words from 1400s.