دِرْعٌ

A coat of mail; synonym زَرَدِّيَةٌ: (IAth, Msb, TA:) [or a coat of defence of any kind; being a term applied in the S and K &c. to a يَلَبَة, i. e. a coat of defence of skins, or of camel's hide:] and also, of plate-armour: (AO, in his book on the دِرْع and بَيْضَة, cited in the TA voce مِغْفَرٌ:) [but the first is the most general, and proper, meaning:] as meaning a دِرْع of iron, it is feminine; (S, Mgh, K *) or mostly so; (Msb;) but sometimes masculine: (K:) AO says that it is masculine and feminine; (S, TA;) and so Lh: (TA:) plural أَدْرُعٌ and أَدْرَاعٌ and دُرُوعٌ; (S, Msb, K;) the first and second, pls. of pauc.; the third, a plural of mult. (S.) The diminutive is ↓ دُرَيْعٌ, which is anomalous, (S, Msb, K,) for by rule it should be with ة; (S;) or this may be [a regular form] of the dialect of those who make the word masculine; and some say ↓ دُرَيْعَةٌ. (Msb.)

Also A woman's قَمِيص [or shift]; (S, Msb, K;) a garment, or piece of cloth, in the middle of which a woman cuts an opening for the head to be put through, and to which she puts arms [or sleeves], and the two openings of which [at the two sides] she sews up: (T, TA:) or a woman's garment which is worn above the قَمِيص: or, according to El-Hulwánee, one of which the opening for the head to pass through extends towards, or to, the bosom; whereas the قميص is one of which the slit is towards, or to, the shoulder-joint; but this [says Mtr] I find not in the lexicons: (Mgh:) a small garment which a young girl wears in her house, or chamber, or tent: (TA:) as meaning a woman's دِرْع, it is masculine, (Lh, S, Mgh, Msb, K,) only; (Lh;) or sometimes feminine: (TA:) plural أَدْرَاعٌ. (S, K.) [See a verse cited voce مِجْوَلٌ.]