Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary - sabot

 noun  Etymology: French  Date: 1607  1.  a. a wooden shoe worn in various European countries  b.  (1) a strap across the instep in a shoe especially of the sandal type  (2) a shoe having a ~ strap  2. a thrust-transmitting carrier that positions a missile in a gun barrel or launching tube and that prevents the escape of gas ahead of the missile  3. shoe 6