badge

Meanings

Noun

• A distinctive mark, token, sign, emblem or cognizance, worn on one's clothing, as an insignia of some rank, or of the membership of an organization.
• A small nameplate, identifying the wearer, and often giving additional information.
• A card, sometimes with a barcode or magnetic strip, granting access to a certain area.
• Something characteristic; a mark; a token.
• A brand on the hand of a thief, etc.
• A carved ornament on the stern of a vessel, containing a window or the representation of one.
• A distinctive mark worn by servants, retainers, and followers of royalty or nobility, who, being beneath the rank of gentlemen, have no right to armorial bearings.
• A small overlay on an icon that shows additional information about that item, such as the number of new alerts or messages.
• An icon or emblem awarded to a user for some achievement.
• a police officer

Verb

• To mark or distinguish with a badge.
• To show a badge to.
• To enter a restricted area by showing one's badge.

Origin

• From Middle English badge, bagge, bage, bagy, from Anglo-Norman bage or Medieval Latin bagea, bagia, of uncertain origin. Possibly derived from Medieval Latin baga, from Old Saxon bāg, bōg, from Proto-Germanic *baugaz; or possibly the Anglo-Norman word is derived from an earlier, unattested English word (compare Old English bēag. Cognate with Scots bagie, badgie, bawgy.