breastplate

/ˈbɹɛstˌpleɪt/

//ˈbɹɛstˌpleɪt// noun

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"breastplate" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“breastplate” is uncommon English (frequency #53,414 among 31,241 “B” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#53,414
frequency rank, English
31,241
“B” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A piece of armor that covers the chest.

Key facts for breastplate
PropertyValue
Headwordbreastplate
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈbɹɛstˌpleɪt/
Letters11
Frequency rank#53,414
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “breastplate” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). breastplate lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

breastplate is uncommon English at frequency #53,414 among 31,241 “B” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈbɹɛstˌpleɪt/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 5 senses are on record.

No generated misspelling entries exist for breastplate in our index, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English brestplate, equivalent to breast + plate. Displaced Old English brēostbeorg. The correct English form is breastplate, spelled B-R-E-A-S-T-P-L-A-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A piece of armor that covers the chest.
  2. 2
    A piece of armor that covers the torso; a cuirass, the breast- (front) and back-plate, taken together as a unit.
  3. 3
    A piece of horse tack designed to prevent the saddle slipping backwards.
  4. 4
    A piece of silicone in the shape of women's breasts worn by drag queens and other female impersonators to simulate a female body shape.
  5. 5
    An embroidered square of linen worn on the breast of the Jewish high priest, bearing twelve precious stones, each inscribed with the name of one of the tribes of Israel.

Etymology

From Middle English brestplate, equivalent to breast + plate. Displaced Old English brēostbeorg.

This word in other languages

peto(Español)cuirasse(Français)Brustschild(Deutsch)couraça(Português)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "breastplate"?
"breastplate" is spelled B-R-E-A-S-T-P-L-A-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈbɹɛstˌpleɪt/.
What does "breastplate" mean?
As a noun, "breastplate" means: A piece of armor that covers the chest.
How do you pronounce "breastplate"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "breastplate" is /ˈbɹɛstˌpleɪt/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "breastplate"?
From Middle English brestplate, equivalent to breast + plate. Displaced Old English brēostbeorg. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “breastplate”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is B-R-E-A-S-T-P-L-A-T-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈbɹɛstˌpleɪt/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Other uncommon English words near this rank

Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list