also: めんぼお
A protective face covering, especially the metal mask or visor attached to a samurai helmet (kabuto). Historical term.
The face guard of the armor not only protected the face but also served to intimidate.
Standard kanji spelling for this historical armor term.
Alternate reading; less common than めんぽお.
Compound of 面 (men, 'face') and 頬 (hō, 'cheek'), referring to a face-and-cheek guard. The reading めんぽお is a regular on'yomi combination; めんぼお is a variant with rendaku-like voicing.