casque

Everyday

1. An old word for a helmet, especially a knight's or soldier's metal helmet. tree →
2. (animals) A hard bony or horny lump on the head or beak of some birds, such as the cassowary and the hornbill. tree →

In the lessons

It appears in history stories about knights and in nature lessons about birds. In a story it tells the reader that someone wears an old-fashioned metal helmet. In a nature book it describes the strange helmet-like crest on a cassowary's head or a hornbill's beak. It is a rare, rather old or technical word.

Examples

• The knight lowered his shining casque before the joust. tree →
• The cassowary has a tall casque on top of its head. tree →
• Hornbills have a big casque on their beaks. tree →
• In the museum we saw a dented casque from a medieval battle. tree →
• Scientists think the cassowary's casque may help it with heat and sound. tree →
• The soldier's casque glinted in the sun. tree →
• The poem described a hero with a plumed casque. tree →

Note

Countable: a casque, two casques. Say «kask» — it sounds like «cask» (a wooden barrel), a homophone, so read the sentence to know which one is meant. Everyday English uses «helmet» instead.