cordon

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. A line of people, military posts, or ships stationed around an area to enclose or guard it.
2. n. A cord or braid worn as a fastening or ornament.
3. n. A ribbon usually worn diagonally across the breast as a badge of honor or decoration.
4. n. Architecture A stringcourse.
5. n. Botany A tree or shrub, especially a fruit tree such as an apple or pear, repeatedly pruned and trained to grow on a support as a single ropelike stem.
6. v. To form a cordon around (an area) so as to prevent movement in or out: Troops cordoned off the riot zone.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. In fortification: A course of stones jutting before the rampart and the base of the parapet, or a course of stones between the wall of a fortress which lies aslope and the parapet which is perpendicular: introduced as an ornament, and used only in fortifications of stonework. The projecting coping of a scarp wall, which prevents the top of a revetment from being saturated with water, and forms an obstacle to an enemy's escalading party.
2. n. In architecture, a molding of inconsiderable projection, usually horizontal, in the face of a wall: used for ornament, or to indicate on the exterior a division of stones, etc. Compare band, 2 .
3. n. Milit., a line or series of military posts or sentinels, inclosing or guarding any particular place, to prevent the passage of persons other than those entitled to pass.
4. n. Hence Any line (of persons) that incloses or guards a particular place so as to prevent egress or ingress.
5. n. Any cord, braid, or lace of fine material forming a part of costume, as around the crown of a hat or hanging down from it, or used to secure a mantle or the like.
6. n. In heraldry, a cord used as a bearing accompanying the shield of an ecclesiastical dignitary, and usually hanging on each side. Cardinals have a cordon gules which is divided, forming lozenge-shaped meshes, and having 15 tufts or tassels in 5 rows; archbishops have one of vert, which bears only 10 tufts in 4 rows; that of bishops is also vert, with 6 tufts in 3 rows. See cut under cardinal.
7. n. A ribbon indicating the position of its wearer in an honorary order. A cordon is usually worn as a scarf over one shoulder and carried to the waist on the opposite side; it is especially the mark of a higher grade of an order.
8. n. In horticulture, a plant that is naturally diffusely branched, made by pruning to grow as a single stem, in order to force larger fruit.
9. n. By extension, a person wearing or entitled to wear this badge.
10. n. Hence, from this being the highest badge of knightly honor, any person of great eminence in his class or profession: as, the cordons bleus of journalism.
11. n. In specific use, a first-class cook.

Wiktionary

1. n. archaic A ribbon normally worn diagonally across the chest as a decoration or insignia of rank etc.
2. n. A line of people or things placed around an area to enclose or protect it.
3. n. cricket The arc of fielders on the off side, behind the batsman - the slips and gully.
4. n. botany A woody plant, such as a fruit tree, pruned and trained to grow as a single stem on a support.
5. v. with "off" To form a cordon around an area in order to prevent movement in or out.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. A cord or ribbon bestowed or borne as a badge of honor; a broad ribbon, usually worn after the manner of a baldric, constituting a mark of a very high grade in an honorary order. Cf. grand cordon.
2. n. The cord worn by a Franciscan friar.
3. n. (Fort.) The coping of the scarp wall, which projects beyong the face of the wall a few inches.
4. n. (Mil.) A line or series of sentinels, or of military posts, inclosing or guarding any place or thing.
5. n. A rich and ornamental lace or string, used to secure a mantle in some costumes of state.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. cord or ribbon worn as an insignia of honor or rank
2. n. adornment consisting of an ornamental ribbon or cord
3. n. a series of sentinels or of military posts enclosing or guarding some place or thing