fourragère

[ foor-uh-zhair; French foo-ra-zher ]

noun

, plural four·ra·gères [foor, -, uh, -zhairz, foo-, r, a, -, zher].

1. an ornament of cord worn on the shoulder.
2. such a cord awarded as an honorary decoration, as to members of a regiment or other unit that has received a requisite number of citations.

fourragère

/ ˈfʊərəˌʒɛə; furaʒɛr /

noun

1. an ornamental cord worn on the shoulder of a uniform for identification or as an award, esp in the US and French Armies

Word History and Origins

Origin of fourragère¹

Borrowed into English from French around 1915–20

Word History and Origins

Origin of fourragère¹

French, feminine adj of fourrager relating to forage, from fourrage forage

Example Sentences

John Belcastro has a long list of honors, beginning with he and his brother Jimmy as the first set of twins born in Shinnston in 1922, to being awarded the Purple Heart, Bronze Star, President Unit Citation and the French Fourragère.

From Washington Times

The spit hit Roland Weary’s shoulder, gave Weary a fourragere of snot and blutwurst and tobacco juice and Schnapps.

From Literature

In World War I the entire ist had won the green and red French fourragere which the outfit still wears proudly, looped over the left shoulder.

From Time Magazine Archive