Ar"ma*ture (&?;), n. [L. armatura, fr. armare to arm: cf. F. armature. See Arm, v. t., Armor.] 1. Armor; whatever is worn or used for the protection and defense of the body, esp. the protective outfit of some animals and plants.

2. (Magnetism) A piece of soft iron used to connect the two poles of a magnet, or electro-magnet, in order to complete the circuit, or to receive and apply the magnetic force. In the ordinary horseshoe magnet, it serves to prevent the dissipation of the magnetic force.

3. (Arch.) Iron bars or framing employed for the consolidation of a building, as in sustaining slender columns, holding up canopies, etc. Oxf. Gloss.

Ar"ma*ture (?), n. (Elec.) That part of a dynamo or electric generator or of an electric motor in which a current is induced by a relatively moving magnetic field. The armature usually consists of a series of coils or groups of insulated conductors surrounding a core of iron.

Ar"ma*ture (?), n. (Elec.) That part of a dynamo or electric generator or of an electric motor in which a current is induced by a relatively moving magnetic field. The armature usually consists of a series of coils or groups of insulated conductors surrounding a core of iron.

• The rotating part of an electric motor or dynamo, which mostly consists of coils of wire around a metal core.
  
• The moving part in an electromechanical device like a loudspeaker or a buzzer.
  
• A piece of soft steel or iron that connects the poles of a magnet
  
• A supporting framework in a sculpture.
  
• A protective organ, structure, or covering of an animal or plant, for defense or offense, like claws, teeth, thorns, or the shell of a turtle.