the.com/elbow guard
plastic armor for the joint you forget exists until pavement reminds you violently
means A protective pad worn over the elbow to shield it from impact, scrapes, and injury during sports or physical activity.
from A plain compound of two old Germanic body words. "Elbow" comes from Old English "elnboga," literally "the bend of the ell" — "ell" being the forearm-length used as a measure, plus "boga," a bow or bend (the same root that gives us the archer's bow). "Guard" arrived later through Old French "garde," from a Germanic root meaning to watch or protect, a cousin of "ward" and "warden." So the term is honest to its parts: a watcher for the bent arm.
- funny bone
- guards the nerve that sends that electric jolt
- medieval roots
- knights wore steel couters to protect elbows
- skater staple
- required gear in most skate park rules
- workplace use
- prevents bursitis from leaning on hard desks
wwe elbow pad — the undertaker's signature black elbow pad, worn throughout his 30-year wwe career
skateboarding elbow pad — standard protective gear worn by skateboarders, required in competitions like x games since 1995
volleyball elbow pad — knee-style elbow protectors worn by volleyball players, particularly in professional leagues like avp since the 1970s