A chevron (also spelled cheveron, especially in older documents) is a V-shaped pattern.

The word is usually used in reference to a kind of fret in architecture, or to a badge or insignia used in military or police uniforms to indicate rank or length of service, or in heraldry and the designs of flags (see flag terminology). The origin seems to be the shape of the rafters of a building. The neck of a guitar showing the first four frets. ... The Parthenon on top of the Acropolis, Athens, Greece Architecture (from Latin, architectura and ultimately from Greek, αρχιτεκτων, a master builder, from αρχι- chief, leader and τεκτων, builder, carpenter) is the art and science of designing buildings and structures. ... A uniform is a set of standard clothing worn by members of an organisation whilst participating in that organisations activity. ... Heraldry in its most general sense encompasses all matters relating to the duties and responsibilities of officers of arms. ... The tricolour flag of France A flag is a symbol, often displayed on a piece of cloth that can be flown from a pole or mast, and is generally used for signalling or identification. ... The design and description of flags typically uses specialised flag terminology with precise and technical meanings (a form of jargon). ...

Rank insignia

In British Military usage, the idea of using chevrons to denote rank came from whereabouts NCOs were placed in the line in infantry units. In Napoleonic times, units would form up in large, uniform blocks. Lance Corporals (and equivalents) would have marked the corner of a fire team, Corporals the corner of a squad, and Sergeants the corner of a Platoon. This led to the stylised drawing of different numbers of right angles on the sleeves, to denote corners. Over time these turned into the stylised chevrons worn today.

In areas observing Commonwealth of Nations or United States doctrine, chevrons are used as an insignia of enlisted or NCO rank by land military forces and by police. One chevron usually designates a private, two a corporal, and three a sergeant. One to four "rockers" may be also be incorporated to indicate various grades of sergeant. In American usage, chevrons typically point up, or on shoulderboards towards the neck; in Commonwealth usage (and in the U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force), they usually point down, or on shoulderboards away from the neck. The Commonwealth of Nations (CN), usually known as the Commonwealth, is a voluntary association of 53 independent sovereign states, the majority of which are former colonies of the United Kingdom. ... A private is a military soldier of the lowest military rank (equivalent to Nato Rank Grades OR-1 to OR-3 depending on the force served in). ... Corporal is a rank in use in some form by most militaries, police forces or other uniformed organizations around the world. ... Sergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organisations around the world. ... USN redirects here. ... The U.S. Air Force redirects here, for the official song, see The U.S. Air Force (song) The United States Air Force (USAF) is the aerospace branch of the United States armed forces and one of the seven uniformed services. ...

Small chevrons are part of the insigna to indicate length of time serving in some armies. They are worn on the lower left sleeve.

In the Commonwealth, the correct terminology for rank chevrons includes the number of stripes, called "bars", therefore, the image on the left is properly termed a "3-bar chevron". A 1-bar chevron indicates a Private in the Canadian Army or Lance Corporal in other Commonwealth armies, a 2-bar chevron indicates a Corporal, and a 3-bar chevron a Sergeant. Canadian Forces often refer to chevrons as "hooks." Lance Corporal (LCpl or L/Cpl) is a military rank used by some elements of the British, Commonwealth, and U.S. armed forces. ...

Examples

Single Chevron-Rank: Private E2, US Army. Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... A private is a military soldier of the lowest military rank (equivalent to Nato Rank Grades OR-1 to OR-3 depending on the force served in). ... The Army is the branch of the United States armed forces which has primary responsibility for land-based military operations. ...

Double Chevron-Rank: Corporal E4, US Army. Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Corporal is a rank in use in some form by most militaries, police forces or other uniformed organizations around the world. ...

frame|left|Sergeant, British Army and Royal Marines. Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Sergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organisations around the world. ... The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. ... His/Her Majestys Royal Marines, also known as the Royal Marines (RM), are the Royal Navys Light Infantry, the United Kingdoms amphibious force and specialists in Arctic and Mountain Warfare. ...

Heraldry

Chevronels, in the arms of Letchworth Garden City.

In heraldry, when shown as a smaller size than standard, it is a diminutive called a chevronel. Arms of the former urban district council of Letchworth Garden City, Herts. ... Arms of the former urban district council of Letchworth Garden City, Herts. ... Arms of Letchworth Urban District Council Letchworth, officially Letchworth Garden City, is a town in Hertfordshire, England. ...

Punctuation

As a part of punctuation, chevrons (also known as guillemets or angle quotes) usually act as quotation marks, particularly in Spanish and French. Examples would be ‹single quotes› and «double quotes». In German they are used as well, but in inverted form: ›single quotes‹ and »double quotes«. Chevrons are also used in Chinese punctuation, often to enclose the titles of books: ︿ and ﹀ or ︽ and ︾ for traditional vertical printing, and 〈 and 〉 or 《 and 》 for horizontal printing. The term punctuation has two different linguistic meanings: in general, the act and the effect of punctuating, i. ... It has been suggested that Quotation mark, non-English usage be merged into this article or section. ...

Road markings

They are also used as road markings in some stretches of British and Canadian motorways, to help drivers gauge the distance to the car in front, and also on signs on sharp corners in order to denote the tightness of the bend. It has been suggested that Lane#Lane_markings be merged into this article or section. ... Motorway symbol in UK, France and Ireland. ...

Other usages

Corporate logos

The French automobile firm Citroën uses a logo commonly referred to as a pair of chevrons, though it originates in the shape of the teeth of special type of gears which that firm made prior to its entering the car business. Citroën is a French automobile manufacturer, founded in 1919 by André Citroën. ...

The British television company Yorkshire Television used a Y-shaped symbol known as "the chevron" as its logo, from when its broadcasts began in July 1968 until the company was absorbed into the newly-formed ITV plc in February 2004. Yorkshire Television Limited is the ITV contractor for Yorkshire, England, and the surrounding areas. ... 1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1968 calendar). ... ITV plc is a British media company which operates the oldest and largest commercial terrestrial television network in the United Kingdom. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The Chevron Corporation's logo is a pair of chevrons, one blue and one red. Chevron Corporation (NYSE: CVX) is one of the worlds largest global energy companies. ...

In the Microsoft Windows operating system, the name "chevron" is used for a menu that contains the toolbar icons which do not fit in the space available on the toolbar. Microsoft Windows is a family of operating systems by Microsoft. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

In the Stargate science fiction universe, the outer ring of the Stargate device feature nine chevrons. In normal use, seven chevrons lock in to place as a destination Stargate is dialed. An activated Stargate, the central object of the fictional Stargate universe, here depicted in the SG-1 television series. ... Science fiction is a form of speculative fiction principally dealing with the impact of imagined science and technology, or both, upon society and persons as individuals. ... Col. ...

Boeing calls some of its afterburner jets "variable-geometry chevrons".

Geology

Chevron is a term used to refer to a geologic feature specific to Madagascar. According to an article in The New York Times, chevron is a "enormous wedge-shaped sediment deposit," possibly created by an enormous tidal wave after an asteroid impact.