chevron

American  

[shev-ruhn, shev-ron] / ˈʃɛv rən, ˈʃɛvˌrɒn /

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.

4. Heraldry. an ordinary in the form of an inverted V .

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chevron British  

/ 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 called: dancette.  an ornamental moulding having a zigzag pattern

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Other Word Forms

• chevroned adjective
• unchevroned adjective

Etymology

Origin of chevron

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

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 preparation of 35 bows was next; they were shaped and ironed one by one before they were sewn at the specified points along the chevron pattern created by the ribbons.

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

The original Barbie doll didn’t even wear pink when it first debuted in 1959, wearing, instead, a black and white chevron bathing suit.

From Seattle Times