the.com/leg guard
Foam armor that turns a flying cricket ball from injury into mild inconvenience.
means A protective pad worn over the shin and lower leg to shield it from impact, especially in cricket, hockey, and similar sports.
from A plain English compound of "leg" (from Old English "leg," itself borrowed from Old Norse "leggr," meaning limb or bone) and "guard" (from Old French "garder," to watch over or protect, a cousin of the word "ward"). So literally a "leg protector" — the kind of self-explanatory pairing English loves, naming a thing exactly by what it does.
- cricket origin
- Called pads, worn since the 1700s
- goalie cousin
- Hockey leg guards once made of stacked cane
- fencing too
- Kendo and fencing both shield the shins
- weight tradeoff
- Lighter pads mean faster runs, more bruises
cricket leg guard — protective equipment worn by batsmen in cricket to shield the legs from fast bowls, standard since the 1800s
muay thai leg guard — padded shin and leg protection worn by muay thai fighters in thailand and international competitions