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cuirass: cuirass: [15] A cuirass ‘breastplate’ is literally, and was originally, a piece of body armour made of leather. The word comes, via French cuirasse, from Vulgar Latin *coriācia, a nominal use of the Latin adjective coriāceus ‘made of leather’. This was a derivative of corium ‘leather’, which came ultimately from the Indo-European base *ker- or *sker- ‘cut’ (source also of English shear), the underlying notion being of removing the animal’s hide with a knife. Other descendants of Latin corium include French cuir and Spanish cuero, both meaning ‘leather’.
=> curtail, shear, shirt, short, skirt
cataphract (n.): "coat of mail," Middle English, from Latin cataphractes "breastplate of iron scales," from Greek kataphraktes "coat of mail," from kataphraktos "covered up," from kataphrassein "to fortify," from kata "entirely" (see cata-) + phrassein "to fence around, enclose, defend" (see diaphragm).
jacket (n.): mid-15c., "short garment for men," from Middle French jaquet "short coat with sleeves," diminutive of Old French jaque, a kind of tunic, probably from Jacque, the male proper name, also the generic name of a French peasant (see jacquerie), but possibly associated with jaque (de mailles) "short, tight-fitting coat," originally "coat of mail," from Spanish jaco, from Arabic shakk "breastplate." Iakke "a short, close-fitting stuffed or quilted tunic, often serving as a defensive garment" is attested in English from late 14c., and by c. 1400 was being used for "woman's short tunic." Meaning "paper wrapper of a book" is first attested 1894.
pectoral (n.): early 15c., "ornament worn on the breast," from Middle French pectoral and directly from Latin pectorale "breastplate," noun use of neuter of adjective pectoralis (see pectoral (adj.)).

As a shortened form of pectoral muscle, attested from 1758. Slang shortening pec for this is first recorded 1966. Related: Pectorals; pecs.
plastron (n.): c. 1500, from Middle French plastron "breastplate," from Italian piastrone, augmentative of piastra "breastplate, thin metal plate" (see piaster). As an animal part, from 1813; as an article of dress, 1876.
thorax (n.): "chest of the body," late 14c., from Latin thorax "the breast, chest; breastplate," from Greek thorax (genitive thorakos) "breastplate, chest," of unknown origin.