service stripe
- noun
- /ˈsɜrvɪs straɪp/
- Specialized
- The officer proudly displayed his service stripe on his uniform, a symbol of his dedication.
Examples
-
Three service stripes dandied up his lower sleeves.
Fiction book (2001) -
I think the number of service stripes worn by the witness... ...qualifies him to identify the flag the craft was flying.
-
During the ceremony, each veteran was recognized for their years of service indicated by their service stripe.
-
As she looked at the service stripe on his sleeve, she knew he had dedicated many years to the military.
Synonyms
A narrow band on a uniform showing a person's military rank or years of service
A V-shaped badge on a uniform sleeve that shows a person's rank or how long they served
A stripe on a uniform showing how many years someone has served
A short stripe on a uniform that shows years of service
Surface Forms
Morphology
The noun phrase is directly compositional: 'service' specifies the domain (military/public service) and 'stripe' is a narrow band on a uniform indicating status, so a learner who knows both words will infer it refers to a stripe related to service (often indicating years served). This is a common, descriptive formation found across languages and does not require idiomatic knowledge, so it should be immediately comprehensible to a B1 learner.
Etymology
Service stripe comes from the simple act of sewing a cloth stripe on a uniform sleeve to show how long someone has served. Each service stripe stands for a set number of years, so the stripe became an easy way to show 'years of service'.