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Glite Dictionary
shoulder board

shoulder board

1 6.8
A flat stiff piece worn on the shoulder to show rank in the military or police
  • noun
  • /ˈʃoʊldər bɔrd/
  • Jargon
translation icon : hombrera
  • Penyagin was now head of CID, and though he had two stars on his shoulder boards, he was distinctly the new bear in the circus, taking his cue from Rodionov.
  • stars on shoulder boards

Examples

  • The shoulder boards, brass buttons, medals, and ribbons came, each item in its correct location almost without thought, rigging his uniform with a mechanical speed born of long experience.

    Fiction book (2002)

  • -Oh, we found this one... ...with shoulder boards on his coat.

    Jonah Hex (2010)

  • Like most armies, rank was indicated by either pips and braiding on the shoulder boards or stripes on the sleeves.

  • It was good to be wearing the blue shoulder boards of the OGPU, watching officers of the Red Army act deferential, and full professors at Moscow University look frightened.

    Fiction book (1994)

  • Dark dress-green general's uniforms with brass stars, fringed shoulder boards, and mosaics of medals behind ropes of golden braid.

    Fiction book (1992)

  • The officer proudly wore his shoulder boards, which displayed his high rank within the military.

  • Each shoulder board on her uniform had a different symbol that represented her position in the police force.

  • The cadet adjusted his shoulder boards, ensuring the insignia was perfectly aligned with his uniform.

Synonyms

epaulet
vsshoulder board
  • US
4 9.3

A decorative cloth pad on the shoulder of a military or formal uniform

is mainly a stiff rank marker rather than decorative cloth
shoulder mark
vsshoulder board
  • UK
6.7

A small cloth or badge on the shoulder of a uniform that shows rank

is a flat stiff piece rather than a soft fabric item

How Ornate

aiguillette
  • Jargon
1 9.9
epaulet
  • US
4 9.3
shoulder board
  • Jargon
1 6.8
shoulder pad
12 2.9

Surface Forms

shoulder board singular
shoulder boards plural

Morphology

shoulder + board

The compound is directly built from 'shoulder' (location) + 'board' (a flat piece), so a B1 learner who knows both words can infer it refers to a flat piece worn on the shoulder. While the specific function as a rank insignia might require cultural knowledge, the physical composition and placement are compositional and cross-linguistically recognizable, making the form and basic meaning transparent.

Etymology

The name shoulder board comes from a small flat 'board' worn on the shoulder of a uniform to hold badges like stars or stripes. That's why shoulder boards show a person's 'rank' or 'position' today.