merit badge

English

WOTD – 8 February 2024

Etymology

Merit badges of the Boy Scouts of America sewn on to a sash.

From merit +‎ badge.[1][2]

Pronunciation

(Received Pronunciation, General American) IPA^(key): /ˈmɛɹɪt ˌbæd͡ʒ/, /-ɹət-/
Audio (Southern England) (file)
Hyphenation: me‧rit badge

Noun

merit badge (plural merit badges)

(originally and chiefly US, scouting) An embroidered cloth patch awarded to a youth member of the Boy Scouts of America or other scouting organization who successfully completes an activity within an area of study (the badge bearing an image representing the activity), which is either sewn on to the sleeve of the scout's uniform or a sash worn with the uniform; hence, the award itself.
Synonym: (archaic or obsolete) badge of merit

Coordinate term: proficiency badge

Derived terms

Translations

embroidered cloth patch awarded to a youth member of the Boy Scouts of America or other scouting organization who successfully completes an activity; the award itself

Finnish: ansiomerkki (fi)
French: badge du mérite m
Macedonian: please add this translation if you can
Swedish: utbildningsmärke n, förtjänstmärke n (more for meritorious contributions to the Scout Movement), scoutmärke n (any Scout patch)

References

“merit badge, n.”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, December 2023.
“merit badge, n.”, in Dictionary.com Unabridged, Dictionary.com, LLC, 1995–present, reproduced from Stuart Berg Flexner, editor in chief, Random House Unabridged Dictionary, 2nd edition, New York, N.Y.: Random House, 1993, →ISBN.