Heavy cavalry refers to a group of mounted warriors who are known to be heavily armored and capable of wielding weapons accurately in a high-speed charge. Such a group is primarily used for offensive operations to break the enemy line. The term "heavy cavalry" has multiple synonyms, including armored cavalry, cuirassiers, cataphracts, dragoons, lancers, and knights. Armored cavalry describes the heavily armored men who rode horses in battles during the medieval period, while cuirassiers were a type of heavy cavalry during the 16th and 17th centuries. Cataphracts were heavy cavalrymen of ancient times, and dragoons were a type of mounted infantry with heavy armor. Lancers were an elite group of cavalrymen armed with lances, while knights represent the quintessential heavy cavalry of medieval Europe.