echelons

Noun

echelon (plural echelons)

1. A level or rank in an organization, profession, or society.
   • Other important functions performed by the GP [general practitioner] are those of referring patients to other (health) care facilities and acting as contact person for other providers of aid, both for other facilities in first echelon care and with respect to second echelon care (outpatient care...1987, “Scenario A: The Reference Scenario”, in C. F. Hollander, H. A. Becker, editors, Growing Old in the Future: Scenarios on Health and Ageing 1984–2000: Scenario-report, Commissioned by the...

   Synonyms:

   rung

2. A line of riders seeking maximum drafting in a crosswind, resulting in a diagonal line across the road.
   • In an echelon, in which several cyclists are sitting in on one another, each rider takes his turn of about 200 meters at the front before dropping to the rear.1972, Journal of the American Association for Health, Physical Education, and Recreation, volume 43, [Washington, D.C.]: American Association for Health, Physical Education, and Recreation, →OCLC...
3. A formation of troops, ships, aircraft, etc., in diagonal parallel rows.
   • The troops selected by his Royal Highness for this daring exploit, consisted of the war battalions of the 3d, 6th, and 7th regiments of the Royal Guard, forming the first echelon, […]1833 October, “a royalist”, “Sketches of the War of the French in Spain in the Year 1823”, in The United Service Journal and Naval and Military Magazine, part III, number 59, London: Published for...

See all 6 meanings of echelon