epaulette means an ornamentation, worn on the shoulders of a military uniform, as a sign of rank. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 86 out of 100.
epaulette is pronounced /ˈɛpəlɛt/.
Why “epaulette” is a great word
EPAULETTE — [Noun] An ornamental shoulder piece on a military or ceremonial uniform, used to indicate rank or as a decorative trimming. From French épaulette, a diminutive of épaule ("shoulder"), from Old French espaule, from Latin spatula ("shoulder blade, flat piece"). First attested in English in the 1780s. Unlike a rigid "shoulder board" or a braided cord "aiguillette," an epaulette is a pliable, often fringed strap that declares authority from the very slope of the body. It is the gold-bullion fringe trembling with a general's stride, the worn fabric tab anchoring a recruit's first heavy pack, and the absurd, glittering flourish that transforms an actor into a colonel: a small weight placed upon the shoulder to make the bearing of greater weights seem ordained.
Etymology
From French épaulette, from épaule (“shoulder”) + -ette (diminutive).
noun
- An ornamentation, worn on the shoulders of a military uniform, as a sign of rank.“He would have answered for it at the end of a quarter of an hour that some of the glass cases contained swords and epaulettes of ancient colonels and generals; medals and orders once pinned over hearts that had long since ceased to beat; […]”
- A similar piece of trimming on a lady’s dress.
- A plate on the anterior wings of some insects.
- The red patch on the shoulders of a red-winged blackbird.