Distinguished Service Order
1
8.4
- noun
- /dɪsˈtɪŋɡwɪʃt ˈsɜːrvɪs ˈɔːdə/
- UK
:
Orden de Servicio Distinguida
- An alternative would be a posthumous Distinguished Service Order (DSO).
Examples
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He also had VC Victoria Cross and he had DSO Distinguished Service Order and he had MC Military Cross.
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Due to his bravery in combat, he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order for distinguished service.
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The soldier was honored with the Distinguished Service Order after displaying remarkable courage in battle.
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After his exceptional performance during the conflict, he received the Distinguished Service Order as a mark of honor.
Surface Forms
Morphology
distinguished + service + order
The components 'distinguished' + 'service' clearly signal notable military service and 'order' can denote a formal honor or decoration, so a learner can infer this is an award given for meritorious service. However, the phrase is a specific proper name for a British decoration and relies on the institutional sense of 'order' (an honor/knightly order) that B1 learners may not reliably know, so the relation is not fully transparent.
Etymology
Distinguished Service Order is the name of a medal given to military officers for very good work in battle: distinguished means 'to stand out', service means military work, and order here means a formal honour. Picture an officer receiving a special medal for brave leadership; that's why the name means 'a high military honour'.