chevron

[shev-ruh n]

noun

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

Related formschev·roned, adjectiveun·chev·roned, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for chevron

Contemporary Examples of chevron

Nothing is sure in this business, but in the Ukraine, Shell and Chevron appear to have doubled down.
Why Putin Hates Fracking
Christopher Dickey
February 26, 2014
There are cotises either side of the chevron which are white (Argent).
William and Kate's New Conjugal Coat of Arms
Tom Sykes
September 27, 2013
A Chevron Or means the gold chevron across the centre of the Shield.
William and Kate's New Conjugal Coat of Arms
Tom Sykes
September 27, 2013
Last Tuesday, the paper was 28 pages, with ads from Chevron, Boeing, Novartis, and Kaiser Permanente, among others.
Turning Politics Into Cash
Peter Osnos
April 21, 2009
Chevron discovered oil offshore several years ago, and the Cambodian government says it hopes to begin pumping oil in 2011.
Cambodia's New War
Katrin Redfern
April 16, 2009

Historical Examples of chevron

It gives the coat of arms as, Chequy or and azure, a chevron ermine.
Shakespeare's Family
Mrs. C. C. Stopes
A term in use for a fesse, bar, or chevron when embattled on both edges.
The Handbook to English Heraldry
Charles Boutell
Chevron bones are present in all Primates with well-developed tails.
The Vertebrate Skeleton
Sidney H. Reynolds
The caudal region is also distinguished by its chevron bones.
The Vertebrate Skeleton
Sidney H. Reynolds
The zigzag and chevron work in the bays is of excellent character.
The Motor Routes of England
Gordon Home

British Dictionary definitions for chevron

chevron

noun

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 for chevron

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 Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for chevron

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."