Advertisement
Advertisement
echelon
[esh-uh-lon]
noun
a level of command, authority, or rank.
After years of service, she is now in the upper echelon of city officials.
Synonyms: , , , , , , , , , , ,a level of worthiness, achievement, or reputation.
studying hard to get into one of the top echelon colleges.
Synonyms: , ,Military.a formation of troops, ships, airplanes, etc., in which groups of soldiers or individual vehicles or craft are arranged in parallel lines, either with each line extending to the right of the one in front right echelon or with each line extending to the left of the one in front left echelon, so that the whole presents the appearance of steps.
Military.one of the groups of a formation so arranged.
Archaic.any structure or group of structures arranged in a steplike form.
Also called echelon grating.Spectroscopy.a diffraction grating that is used in the resolution of fine structure lines and consists of a series of plates of equal thickness stacked in staircase fashion.
verb (used with or without object)
to form in an echelon.
echelon
/ ˈɛʃəˌɒ /
noun
a level of command, responsibility, etc (esp in the phrase the upper echelons )
military
a formation in which units follow one another but are offset sufficiently to allow each unit a line of fire ahead
a group formed in this way
physics a type of diffraction grating used in spectroscopy consisting of a series of plates of equal thickness arranged stepwise with a constant offset
verb
to assemble in echelon
Other Word Forms
- echelonment noun
Word History and Origins
Word History and Origins
Origin of echelon1
Example Sentences
Having joined United at the age of six, Gomes stepped through the echelons of junior football regarded as one of English football's brightest prospects.
There could be a time when Nigerians no longer obsess over the ethnic origins of those in the upper echelons of government, but historian Prof Naniya says this is still some way off.
Prior to 1995, Pulp had failed to trouble the upper echelons of the charts, only reaching number 33 with their 1994 track Do You Remember The First Time?
The scourge of corruption had long dogged the upper echelons of the Catholic Church.
follows exceeds even Gaga’s high standards, entering the echelon of all-time great performance art pieces.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Browse
