noun
chevron
SHEHV-ruhn
noun
1
A V-shaped stripe or pattern, often used as a badge of military or police rank.
"The sergeant's uniform had three chevrons on the sleeve."
2
A V-shaped road marking used to show a safe following distance between vehicles.
"The motorway had chevrons painted on the tarmac to space cars out."
How to Use Chevron
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA V-shaped stripe or mark, seen on uniforms, road signs, and in patterned fabric or architecture.
Common pairings
chevron pattern
chevron stripes
sergeant's chevrons
Word Forms
chevroned past tense, chevrons plural, chevrons singular
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Etymology
From Old French chevron, meaning "rafter" — the V-shape was thought to resemble the sloped timbers of a roof, ultimately from Latin caper, "goat," likely because of the animal's angled horns.