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ep·au·let also ep·au·lette

(ĕpə-lĕt′, ĕp′ə-lĕt)

A shoulder ornament, especially a fringed strap worn on military uniforms.

[French épaulette, diminutive of épaule, shoulder, from Old French espaule, from Late Latin spatula, shoulder blade; see ESPALIER.]

(click for a larger image)

epaulet

portrait of Czar Nicholas I

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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