caparison

From Middle French caparaçon, from Old Spanish caparazón, from Old Occitan capairon.

caparison (plural caparisons)

1. The often ornamental coverings for an animal, especially a horse or an elephant.
   • 1861, Charlotte Guest (translator), The Mabinogion/The Dream of Rhonabwy:

     And the green of the caparison of the horse, and of his rider, was as green as the leaves of the fir-tree, and the yellow was as yellow as the blossom of the broom.

   • 2001, Walter A. Liedtke, Vermeer and the Delft School‎, page 520:

     That very year they received an order from Gustaf II Adolf of Sweden (1594-1632) for a large number of tapestries and four caparisons.

2. Gay or rich clothing.
   • 1749, Tobias Smollett, The Regicide:

     My heart groans beneath the gay caparison.

caparison (third-person singular simple present caparisons, present participle caparisoning, simple past and past participle caparisoned)

1. To dress up a horse or elephant with ornamental coverings.
   • 1593, Shakespeare, Richard III, Act 5, Scene 3.

     Come, bustle, bustle; caparison my horse

• caparison on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

• Sparacino, paranoics