chevron
[shev-ruh n]
- 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.
- an ornament in this form, as on a molding.
- Also called chevron weave. herringbone(def 2a).
- Heraldry. an ordinary in the form of an inverted V.
Origin of chevron
1300–50; Middle English cheveroun < Old French: rafter, chevron < Vulgar Latin *capriōn- (stem of *capriō), derivative of Latin caper goat
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for chevron
Contemporary Examples
Nothing is sure in this business, but in the Ukraine, Shell and Chevron appear to have doubled down.
There are cotises either side of the chevron which are white (Argent).
A Chevron Or means the gold chevron across the centre of the Shield.
Last Tuesday, the paper was 28 pages, with ads from Chevron, Boeing, Novartis, and Kaiser Permanente, among others.
Chevron discovered oil offshore several years ago, and the Cambodian government says it hopes to begin pumping oil in 2011.
Historical Examples
It gives the coat of arms as, Chequy or and azure, a chevron ermine.
Shakespeare's FamilyMrs. C. C. Stopes
A term in use for a fesse, bar, or chevron when embattled on both edges.
The Handbook to English HeraldryCharles Boutell
Chevron bones are present in all Primates with well-developed tails.
The Vertebrate SkeletonSidney H. Reynolds
The caudal region is also distinguished by its chevron bones.
The Vertebrate SkeletonSidney H. Reynolds
The zigzag and chevron work in the bays is of excellent character.
The Motor Routes of EnglandGordon Home
chevron
- military a badge or insignia consisting of one or more V-shaped stripes to indicate a noncommissioned rank or length of service
- heraldry an inverted V-shaped charge on a shield, one of the earliest ordinaries found in English arms
- (usually plural) a pattern of horizontal black and white V-shapes on a road sign indicating a sharp bend
- any V-shaped pattern or device
- Also called: dancette an ornamental moulding having a zigzag pattern
Word Origin
C14: from Old French, ultimately from Latin caper goat; compare Latin capreoli two pieces of wood forming rafters (literally: little goats)
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for chevron
n.
late 14c., from Old French chevron "rafter; chevron" (13c.), the accent mark so called because it looks like rafters of a shallow roof, from Vulgar Latin *caprione, from Latin caper "goat" (see cab); the hypothetical connection between goats and rafters being the animal's angular hind legs. Cf. Latin capreolus "props, stays, short pieces of timber for support," lit. "wild goat, chamoix."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper