Armour
Armour is a protective covering worn or fitted over a person, vehicle, structure, or object to resist weapons, impact, or other damage.
Ballistic resistance: The ability of a material or structure to withstand projectile impact without being penetrated or dangerously damaged. It describes the central performance armour is designed to provide against bullets and fragments.
Hardness: A material property describing resistance to localized deformation, scratching, or indentation. Hard surfaces can blunt or fracture penetrators, though hardness alone does not guarantee protection.
Personal protective equipment: Equipment worn to reduce exposure to hazards that can cause injury or illness. Wearable armour is one specialized form of protection against physical threats.
Scale armour: Armour made from small overlapping plates attached to a backing garment or structure. Its overlapping scales illustrate an early way to combine coverage with flexibility.
Shield: A portable or fixed barrier used to intercept attacks before they reach a person or object. A shield is held or positioned separately, unlike armour fitted to the protected body or structure.
Spaced armour: Armour made of separated layers that disrupt shaped-charge jets or reduce projectile effectiveness before they reach the protected surface. The gaps between layers can weaken attacks that defeat a single solid plate.
Toughness: A material's capacity to absorb energy and deform or fracture without failing abruptly. Toughness helps armour withstand impact without breaking into hazardous fragments.
Ballistic vest: A garment containing protective panels designed to reduce injury from bullets or fragments. It brings armour close to the body while balancing coverage, flexibility, and weight.
Mail armour: Armour made from interlinked metal rings, commonly called chain mail. Mail resisted cuts while remaining flexible, but offered limited protection from strong thrusts.
Camouflage: Coloration, patterns, or materials that make an object harder to detect or identify. Concealment can prevent an attack without physically resisting its impact.