shoulder patch

American  

noun

1. a cloth emblem worn on the upper part of a sleeve of a uniform typically as identification of the organization to which the wearer is assigned.

---

shoulder patch British  

noun

1. Also called: shoulder flash.  military an emblem worn high on the arm as an insignia

---

Etymology

Origin of shoulder patch

First recorded in 1940–45

Example Sentences

On VKontakte, Shirshov's profile picture is of a Wagner Group shoulder patch.

From Reuters • Jun. 28, 2023

Members of the 116th Brigade wore a shoulder patch depicting Jackson mounted on a horse for nearly 30 years, until it adopted a divisional patch in 2007.

From Washington Post • Mar. 11, 2021

John Zaputil, 62, had been charged with theft for allegedly taking about a dozen items, including medals, a shoulder patch and lapel pins, from the USS LST 393 Veterans Museum in Muskegon last August.

From Washington Times • Jan. 30, 2020

And according to a much-touted "Easter egg" in the episode, Rick's new constable uniform features a shoulder patch with a Latin phrase, which translates to "We will rise again."

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 2, 2015

His shoulder patch was a silhouette of Abraham Lincoln’s profile on a field of pale green.

From "Slaughterhouse-Five" by Kurt Vonnegut