/ bædʒ; NAmE / noun
1.
( BrE ) a small piece of metal or plastic, with a design or words on it, that a person wears to show that they belong to an organization, support sth, have achieved sth, have a particular rank, etc. :
She wore a badge saying 'Vote for Coates'.
All employees have to wear name badges.
—compare button
2.
( BrE ) ( NAmE patch ) a piece of material that you sew onto clothes as part of a uniform :
the school badge
3.
a small piece of metal that you carry or wear to prove who you are, used, for example, by police officers :
He pulled out a badge and said he was a cop.
4.
( formal ) something that shows that a particular quality is present :
His gun was a badge of power for him.
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WORD ORIGIN
late Middle English : of unknown origin.