Words and phrases - Echelons

Echelons

Meaning : a level or rank in an organization, a profession, or society.


A formation of troops in which each unit is positioned successively to the left or right of the rear unit to form an oblique or steplike line.

A flight formation or arrangement of craft in this manner.

flight formation in which each airplane flies at a certain elevation above or below and at a certain distance behind and to the right or left of the airplane ahead

Synonyms : level, place, position, step, degree, rank, tier, stratum

 The word echelons is derived from french word échelon meaning rung of a ladder. It is usually used for the various ranks in military or positions in an organisation. It is also used for formation of troops in lines.

Origin : French échelon, from Old French eschelonrung of a ladder, from eschiele,ladder, from Late Latin scāla, back-formation from Latin scālaesteps, ladder; seeskand- in Indo-European roots.

First known use of echelon :
       circa 1860

Sentences :


A squaddy from a rear echelon of the regiment had seen Kenworthy go to ground, and came to him.
Hilton, John Buxton DISPLACED PERSON
But this disparity in the higher echelon is not peculiar to the NHS.
TIMES, SUNDAY TIMES (2002)
It didn't take much for him to win over the Sena's top echelon , as his subsequent election to the Rajya Sabha indicates.
INDIA TODAY (1997)
Wellington's centre had withstood the attack of the first Guard echelon , the grenadiers.
Andrew Roberts, Series edited by Lisa Jardine and Amanda Foreman WATERLOO: NAPOLEON'S LAST GAMBLE (2005)
What's certain is that the remaining members of the Hussein regime's top echelon are frantically scrambling to avoid arrest.
GLOBE AND MAIL (2003)

Yet this is important for only the top echelon of global companies.
TIMES, SUNDAY TIMES (2002)


Sources : http://www.thefreedictionary.com/echelons
                http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/echelon
                http://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/echelon

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