echelon • (noun) \ESH-uh-lan\

hear it again hear it again

1 : a formation of units (as troops or airplanes) resembling a series of steps; also : a unit of such a formation
2 : one of a series of levels especially of authority; also : the people who are at such a level

Example sentence:
A person who becomes Secretary of State has reached the highest echelon of the diplomatic service in the United States.

Etymology:
A roofer is likely to need a "scala," or ladder. "Scala" found its way into Old French as "eschele," from which French speakers made "echelon," meaning "a rung of a ladder." "Eschelon" developed figurative meanings, including that of a troop formation that resembled a series of steps. In English, this meaning expanded to cover similar formations of ships and aircraft, and later, the structure of a military organization that was organized by rank. Today, it can refer to a level in any organization, or to the people at a particular level.

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