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Word of the Day for Saturday, May 8, 2010 chevron \SHEV--ruh-n\, 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. A V-shaped pattern, especially a kind of fret used in architecture. 3. Also called chevron weave, a herringbone pattern in textiles. 4. In skiing, a method of going up a slope in which a skier sets the skis in a form resembling a V, and, placing weight on the inside edges, advances the skis by turns using the poles from behind for push and support. In thin planar cells of a three-component mixture in which V-shaped switching was first reported, the chevron layer structure was confirmed. -- Nihon Butsuri, Japanese journal of applied physics: Regular papers & short notes, Volume 40 It isn’t so easy to sew on a Private First Class’ chevron: it has to be placed at a certain prescribed distance from the seam of the sleeve; moreover, the two open sides of the chevron must be absolutely straight. -- Heinrich Boll; Leila Vannewitz, The Stories of Heinrich Boll Chevron derives from Old French chevron, "rafter", which relates to the Latin caper, "goat". The connection between the two meanings is assumed to be the resemblance in shape between rafters and a goat's hind legs. Read the full entry | See synonyms | Comment on today's word | Suggest tomorrow's word Yesterday's word | Previous words | Help
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