chevron

[ shev-ruhn, shev-ron ]

noun

1. a badge consisting of stripes meeting at an angle, worn on the sleeve by noncommissioned officers, police officers, etc., as an indication of rank, service, or the like.
2. an ornament in this form, as on a molding.
3. Also called chevron weave. herringbone ( def 2a ).
4. Heraldry. an ordinary in the form of an inverted V .

chevron

/ ˈʃɛvrən /

noun

1. military a badge or insignia consisting of one or more V-shaped stripes to indicate a noncommissioned rank or length of service
2. heraldry an inverted V-shaped charge on a shield, one of the earliest ordinaries found in English arms
3. usually plural a pattern of horizontal black and white V-shapes on a road sign indicating a sharp bend
4. any V-shaped pattern or device
5. Also calleddancette an ornamental moulding having a zigzag pattern

Other Words From

• chev·roned adjective
• un·chev·roned adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of chevron¹

1300–50; Middle English cheveroun < Old French: rafter, chevron < Vulgar Latin *capriōn- (stem of *capriō ), derivative of Latin caper goat

Word History and Origins

Origin of chevron¹

C14: from Old French, ultimately from Latin caper goat; compare Latin capreoli two pieces of wood forming rafters (literally: little goats)

Example Sentences

He said it had to "drive in the middle of the road over the chevrons to hold the line" as a result of the speed it was travelling.

From BBC

The first step involved positioning the ribbon embroidery in a classic chevron pattern.

From Los Angeles Times

Eric is a manifestation and an amalgamation of details in Edgar’s mind — a tail that mimics his cat and fur that matches the chevron of his grandmother’s mink.

From Los Angeles Times

“Russia just kind of disintegrated,” says Lockshin, 42, a lanky man with a trim chevron mustache and an unhurried but slightly wary air.

From Los Angeles Times

Men in black, with special forces chevrons on their sleeves, pummeled her in the prison corridor and in a ceramic-tiled room seemingly designed for quick cleaning.

From Seattle Times