Wordology, Arcuate

The back pocket of Levi jeans has a double arch design called the Arcuate for which the company holds a trademark. Arcuate means 'curved like a bow'.

During World War II, the US government ruled that the design served no practical purpose, was only decorative, and due to wartime rations involving cotton, did not allow the company to use extra thread to create the arcuate. To maintain the trademark during those years, the company painted the design on the jeans.