noun
echelon
A formation in which each member is offset to one side of the member ahead.
The cyclists ride in echelon to shelter from the crosswind.
Etymology
French échelon means a rung of a ladder. The military formation borrows that stepped arrangement, with successive units offset instead of forming one straight line.
More examples
- The troops advance in echelon across the field.
- Four jets hold a tight echelon during the flyover.
- The riders form two echelons as the wind strengthens.
Forms
echelon · echelons
Similar words
- formation
- Describes any organized arrangement, not specifically a step-like one.