Ech"e*lon (?), v. t. (Mil.)
To place in echelon; to station divisions of troops in
echelon.
Ech"e*lon, v. i. To take position
in echelon.
Change direction to the left, echelon by
battalion from the right.
Upton (Tactics).Ech"e*lon (ĕsh"e*lŏn),
n. [F., fr. échelle ladder, fr. L.
scala.] 1. (Mil.) An arrangement
of a body of troops when its divisions are drawn up in parallel lines
each to the right or the left of the one in advance of it, like the
steps of a ladder in position for climbing. Also used adjectively;
as, echelon distance. Upton (Tactics).
2. (Naval) An arrangement of a fleet
in a wedge or V formation.
Encyc. Dict.
Echelon lens (Optics), a large lens
constructed in several parts or layers, extending in a succession of
annular rings beyond the central lens; -- used in
lighthouses.