putting on armor and helmet; wearing armor
Dated term for donning armor, especially in historical or military contexts. Not used in modern everyday language.
戦の前に、武士は被甲して身を固めた。
Before battle, the samurai put on his armor and helmet to protect himself.
Dated military term for a gas mask. Now replaced by ガスマスク or 防毒マスク.
In the former Japanese military, the gas mask was used to protect soldiers from poison gas.
被甲 is an old military term for a bulletproof jacket made of cupronickel.
Cupronickel, the material used for the protective cover in sense 3.
Compound of 被 (hi, 'cover' or 'put on') and 甲 (kou, 'armor' or 'helmet'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the kanji directly reflect the meaning of donning protective gear.