epaulet

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   an ornamental shoulder piece on a uniform, especially one indicating military rank

   A gold epaulet on each shoulder marked the officer's rank.

2. 2
   noun

   a patch of contrasting color on the shoulder of a bird or another animal

   The red-winged blackbird flashed its scarlet epaulet as it took flight.

From French epaulette, a diminutive of epaule, 'shoulder,' ultimately from Latin spatula, 'shoulder blade.' The ornament became a military badge of rank. Zoologists then borrowed the term for a conspicuous shoulder patch, especially the colored feathers of certain birds.

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