ECHELON

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does echelon mean? 

• ECHELON (noun)
  The noun ECHELON has 3 senses:

1. status in a society or organization

2. a body of troops arranged in a line

3. a diffraction grating consisting of a pile of plates of equal thickness arranged stepwise with a constant offset

  Familiarity information: ECHELON used as a noun is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• ECHELON (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Status in a society or organization

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Context example:

the upper echelon

Hypernyms ("echelon" is a kind of...):

position; status (the relative position or standing of things or especially persons in a society)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A body of troops arranged in a line

Classified under:

Nouns denoting groupings of people or objects

Hypernyms ("echelon" is a kind of...):

force; military force; military group; military unit (a unit that is part of some military service)

Domain category:

armed forces; armed services; military; military machine; war machine (the military forces of a nation)

Sense 3

Meaning:

A diffraction grating consisting of a pile of plates of equal thickness arranged stepwise with a constant offset

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("echelon" is a kind of...):

diffraction grating; grating (optical device consisting of a surface with many parallel grooves in it; disperses a beam of light (or other electromagnetic radiation) into its wavelengths to produce its spectrum)

 Context examples 

No matter what your circumstance, Mars will help you get inside the offices of executives of the highest echelons so that you can present your credentials.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)