— cataphractic , adj.
/kat"euh frakt'/ , n.
1. a heavily armed war galley of ancient Greece.
2. a suit of ancient Roman scale armor for a man or horse.
3. Zool. the bony plates or scales covering the body of certain fishes or reptiles.
[ 1575-85; cataphractus fully armored katáphraktos (akin to kataphrássein to clothe fully in armor), equiv. to kata- CATA- + phraktós fenced, protectively clothed ( phrag- fence + -tos verbal adj. suffix) ]