Sam Browne belt
1
8.1
- noun
- /sæm braʊn bɛlt/
:
cinturón Sam Browne
- A Sam Browne belt's diagonal strap ran across his chest to disappear under a khaki epaulet.
- uniform with a Sam Browne belt
Examples
-
He stood over Barnes at parade rest, his leather Sam Browne belt crossing his chest.
Fiction book (1992) -
The first invitation to a military uniform, seven years earlier, was my Sam Browne belt.
Fiction book (1990) -
I wore my best shirt, my new Sam Browne belt, and waited for them to return to an informal reception.
Fiction book (1990) -
"He hitched up his Sam Browne belt, gun bouncing against his hip as he watched the street.
Fiction book (1995) -
A tall, dark-haired young man in a pale blue short-sleeved uniform shirt, a Sam Browne belt, and navy trousers steps outside.
Fiction book (2002) -
A muscular blond and pride of the large Blevins clan, his Sam Browne belt, badge, whistle, nametag, and nickel-plated Colt .38 police special gleamed.
Fiction book (1991) -
Straddling his charger, I'd clasp that Sam Browne belt while we cantered to a reviewing stand amid pennants popping in tropical breezes.
Academic text (2001) -
The officer adjusted his Sam Browne belt before stepping into the parade ground.
-
She noticed his Sam Browne belt had a shiny buckle as he stood at attention.
-
During the ceremony, the soldiers all wore their Sam Browne belts as part of their uniform.
Surface Forms
Morphology
Sam + Browne + belt
A learner who knows 'belt' will correctly infer that this refers to a kind of belt, but the proper-name elements 'Sam Browne' provide no compositional cue to the distinctive shoulder-strap design or its military/police use. Thus the basic category is transparent while the specific form and function are not predictable without prior exposure.
Etymology
Sam Browne belt is named after a British officer who lost an arm and wore a belt with a shoulder strap to help hold his sword and pistol. That's why the name means the special 'uniform' belt with a strap to 'support' a sword or other equipment.