armature

noun

ar·​ma·​ture ˈär-mə-ˌchu̇r 

-chər,

-ˌtyu̇r,

-ˌtu̇r

1

: an organ or structure (such as teeth or thorns) for offense or defense

2

a

: a piece of soft iron or steel that connects the poles of a magnet or of adjacent magnets

b

: a usually rotating part of an electric machine (such as a generator or motor) which consists essentially of coils of wire around a metal core and in which electric current is induced or in which the input current interacts with a magnetic field to produce torque

c

: the movable part of an electromagnetic device (such as a loudspeaker)

d

: a framework used by a sculptor to support a figure being modeled in a plastic material

e

: framework sense 1a

events that serve as the armature of the book

Synonyms

• architecture
• cadre
• configuration
• edifice
• fabric
• frame
• framework
• framing
• infrastructure
• shell
• skeleton
• structure

Examples of armature in a Sentence

the rigid armature of a highly stratified society

Recent Examples on the Web

This will be her first ready-to-wear season without the armature of her former employer. —Vanessa Friedman, New York Times, 7 Feb. 2024

The three-bedroom and two-and-a-half-bath home’s I-beam steel-frame armature supports vast expanses of glass and a 30-foot ceiling in the central atrium that is crisscrossed by a geometric assemblage of bridges and staircases. —Mark David, Robb Report, 26 Jan. 2024

This doesn’t really matter much, because above all, a mystery is an armature on which to hang a bunch of distinct, disparate characters, without the necessity of character development. —Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 14 Jan. 2024

Some companies are reportedly experimenting with adding a dynamic or balanced armature driver to the earbuds for punch. —Parker Hall, WIRED, 15 Nov. 2023

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, "armor, armed force," borrowed from Latin armātūra "armament, troop" (Medieval Latin, "suit of armor, defensive equipment of an animal"), from armātus, past participle of armāre "to arm entry 2, equip" + -ūra -ure

First Known Use

1653, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

armature

noun

ar·​ma·​ture ˈär-mə-chər 

-ˌchu̇(ə)r

1

: a covering or structure (as the spines of a cactus) used for protection or defense

2

: the part of an electric generator that consists of coils of wire around an iron core and that induces an electric current when it is rotated in a magnetic field

3

: the part of an electric motor that consists of coils of wire around an iron core and that is caused to rotate in a magnetic field when an electric current is passed through the coils

4

: the movable part of an electromagnetic device (as a loudspeaker)