Obs. exc. Hist. Forms: 5 baviere, 6 bauour, -er, 6–7 beuer, 7 bauier, beauer, beavoir, 8–9 bever, 9 beavor, 6– beaver. [ME. baviere, a. OF. bavière, orig. a child’s bib, f. bave saliva; cf. It. baviera, Sp. babera.]
1. ‘The lower portion of the face-guard of a helmet, when worn with a visor; but occasionally serving the purposes of both.’
‘In 14th c. applied to the moveable face-guard of the basinet, otherwise called viziere, ventaile, or aventaile. In the early part of 15th c. the beaver appears formed of overlapping plates, which can be raised or depressed to any degree desired by the wearer. In the 16th c. it again became confounded with the visor, and could be pushed up entirely over the top of the helmet, and drawn down at pleasure.’ (Planché.)
1481–90. Howard, Househ. Bks., 274. A peir brigandines … ij. bavieres [and] iij. peire ganteletz.
1557. K. Arthur (Copland), VI. ix. Syr Launcelot … gate hym by the bauour of hys helmet.
1600. Fairfax, Tasso, II. xlviii. The Virgin gan her Beavoir vale.
1602. Shaks., Ham., I. ii. 230. Then saw you not his face? O yes, my Lord, he wore his Beaver vp.
1765. H. Walpole, Otranto, iii. (1798), 51. Two knights in complete armour, their beavers down.
1820. Scott, Ivanhoe, viii. The conqueror called for a bowl of wine, and opening the beaver, or lower part of his helmet … quaffed it.
1876. Planché, Cycl. Costume, I. 39. One of the earliest examples of a movable beaver is seen in the effigy of Thomas, Duke of Clarence, slain 1421.
b. fig.
1838. Southey, Doctor, Wks. V. 148. I will maintain … as publicly (only that my bever must be closed).
1845. R. W. Hamilton, Pop. Educ., iii. 49. Why should the Author suppress this anecdote now that his beaver is up?
2. Comb., as beaver-sight, eye-hole of a helmet.
a. 1843. Southey, G. Hermiguez, I. Wks. 1853, VI. 163. Through the bever-sight his eye Glared fierce and red.
Beaver3, variant of BEVER.
