CORSELET. Ancient and mediaeval body armour. Originally the term referred to the armour which covered the whole body (from Latin corpus and O.Fr. cons, body) but later it was re stricted to that which covered the body between the neck and the thighs. The ancient Egyptians and Persians had corselets of linen. In the middle ages the corselet was made of metal, and was dis tinguishable from the cuirass in that the former had a back-plate as well as a breast-plate. Corselets were worn by infantry during the 17th century.