FLAG
ADJECTIVES
► SWALLOW-TAILED of a flag: having a cleft end with two tapering points → 1697
► TRICOLOR ► TRICOLOUR said of the national flags of France, Italy, and Mexico: having three colours → 1815
INTERJECTIONS & PHRASES
► UNDER A SPEAR under one banner or flag → 1297 obs.
NOUNS
► ANCIENT a military or naval standard or flag; an ensign; one flown at the stern of a ship → 1556 obs.
► ANTSIGN a military or naval flag; an ensign → 1571 obs.
► BANDEROLE ► BANDROL ► BANNEROL a long narrow flag with cleft end, flying from the mastheads of ships, carried in battle, etc. → 1562
► BEAR FLAG the flag of California, which depicts a bear → 1847 US
► BLACKBALL FLAG a flag featuring a solid black disc on a yellow background, indicating that board surfing is prohibited or restricted in the area → 1966 US surfing usage
► BLACK FLAG in racing sports: a black flag used to signal a penalty, disqualification, the termination of a race due to poor conditions, etc. → 1934
► BLACK-JACK the black flag of a pirate → 1846
► BLOODY FLAG a red flag displayed as a sign of readiness for battle → 1589
► BLUE FLAG in motor racing: a flag of blue material used to signal to a driver that a faster car is approaching and about to overtake → 1933
► BLUE PETER a blue flag with a white square in the centre, hoisted to signal that the vessel is about to sail → 1754 nautical usage
► BRATTACH an ensign, banner, or flag → 1828
► BURGEE a small tapered flag or pennant, three-cornered or swallow-tailed, used by yachts, etc., generally as a distinguishing flag → 1848
► CHURCH FLAG a flag flown on board a ship to indicate a religious service is taking place → 1861 nautical usage
► COLOR STAFF ► COLOUR STAFF a pole used to bear a flag or ensign → 1703
► CORNET a long narrow triangular or swallow-tailed flag used as the standard of a troop or cavalry → 1579
► DANNEBROG the Danish national flag → 1708
► DUSTER a flag or ensign → 1904 naval sl.
► ENSIGN a military or naval standard; a banner, a flag → 1400
► EUREKA FLAG a blue flag bearing a white cross with a white star at the end of each arm and in the centre → 1896 Aust.
► FANE a flag, banner, pennant → a1000 obs.
► FANIKIN a small flag or banner → 1539 obs.
► FLAG-FALL the falling or dropping of a flag to indicate the start of a race → 1899
► FLAGLET a small flag → 1872
► FLAG OF CONVENIENCE a foreign flag under which a ship is registered in order to avoid certain duties, charges, etc. → 1956
► FLAG OF TRUCE a white flag, carried by a messenger or hoisted on a vessel, to express a wish for parley with the enemy → 1582
► FLAG-WAGGING a signalling with flags held in the hand → 1887 military sl.
► FLY of a flag: the breadth from the staff to the end; also, the part farthest from the staff → 1841
► GETON a small flag; one flown by a commander of lesser seniority → 1392 obs.
► GONFANON in the middle ages: the small flag or pennon suspended immediately beneath the steel head of a knight’s lance → 1330 obs.
► GRAND UNION FLAG the flag of the thirteen American colonies which declared independence in 1776, consisting of red and white stripes with a Union Jack in the top corner near the hoist → 1852
► GRIDIRON the United States flag, the stars and stripes → 1866
► GUIDON 1. a flag or pennant, broad at the end next the staff and forked at the other → 1548
2. the flag of a guild or fraternity → 1864
► HALYARD a rope or tackle for lowering a flag or sail → 1373 nautical usage
► JACK a ship’s flag, smaller than the ensign, used at sea as a signal, or as an identifying device → 1633
► JACK FLAG a ship’s flag, smaller than the ensign, used at sea as a signal, or as an identifying device → 1655
► JOLLY HODGE the pirate’s flag bearing the Death’s Head and Crossbones → 1821
► JOLLY ROGER a pirate’s flag, usually having a white skull and crossbones on a black background → 1724
► MAGGIE’S DRAWERS in the US Military: a red flag used to indicate a miss in target practice → 1936 sl.
► MAPLE LEAF the Canadian flag → 1912
► MEATBALL a flag or pennant bearing a circle on a plain field; the circle on such a flag; the rising-sun emblem on the Japanese flag → 1919 US sl.
► OLD GLORY the Stars and Stripes flag → 1862 US
► OLD THIRTEEN the flag of the original thirteen American colonies which declared independence in 1776 → 1792 US
► PALMETTO FLAG the flag of the state of South Carolina, which bears a picture of a cabbage palmetto tree → 1848 US
► PAVILION 1. the official flag of a town → 1572 Sc. obs.
2. a flag, an ensign, especially one carried by a ship to indicate nationality → 1661 obs.
► PELICAN FLAG the flag of the state of Louisiana, which depicts a pelican → 1860 US
► PENDANT 1. a narrow flag or streamer → 1466
2. a sharply tapering flag used for signalling or to designate some particular purpose → 1485 nautical usage
► PENNANT 1. a long tapering or swallow-tailed flag → 1470
2. in sports: a flag symbolizing a league championship → 1865 US
► PENNON 1. a long narrow triangular or swallow-tailed flag, usually attached to the head of a lance or a helmet → 1380
2. any flag or banner → 1404
► PETER a blue flag with a white square in the centre, hoisted to signal that the vessel is about to sail → 1890 nautical usage
► PINE TREE FLAG a flag bearing the figure of a pine tree that was carried into battle during the American revolutionary war → 1852
► POMMEL the ornamental top of a flag staff → 1475
► RAG a flag → 1698 colloq., obs., mildly derogatory
► RAINBOW FLAG 1. the flag of the United States → 1838
2. a flag used to represent international peace and unity → 1909
3. a flag used to symbolize gay pride → 1988
► RAVEN a representation of a raven, as depicted on the flag borne by some Viking leaders; the flag itself → a1000
► RED FLAG a flag of red material displayed as a sign of battle-readiness or defiance → 1585
► RISING SUN FLAG any navy or military flag of Japan, usually comprising a red disc surrounded by sixteen rays; the flag of the Imperial Japanese Army → 1868
2. a flag of red material used to signal the start of a race → 1893
► ROYAL STANDARD a flag used by the monarch and members of the royal family → 1581 chiefly UK
► SCROLL a streamer, a narrow flag → 1808
► SKULL AND CROSSBONES a representation of a bare skull with two thigh-bones crossed beneath it as an emblem of death, as depicted on a pirate’s flag → 1826
► SOUTHERN CROSS a blue flag bearing a white cross with a star at the end of each arm and one in the centre, used by gold miners during the rebellion at the Eureka Stockade in Ballarat, Victoria in 1854; the Eureka flag → 1855 Aust.
► STANDER a military or ceremonial flag of a particular kind → 1397 obs.
► STAR-SPANGLED BANNER the national flag of the USA → 1814
► STAY a guy or rope supporting a flag-staff → 1515
► STREAMER a flag streaming or waving in the air; a long and narrow pointed flag → 1292
► SUN-FLAG the Japanese flag, bearing an image of the sun → 1882
► SWALLOWTAIL the cleft two-pointed end of a flag; a swallow-tailed flag → 1697
► SWASTIKA the flag used as the emblem of the German Nazi Party, consisting of a red background with a black Nazi swastika inside a white circle at its centre → 1933
► TACK OF A FLAG a line spliced into the eye at the bottom of the tabling, for securing the flag to the halyard → 1794 obs.
► TRUCK a circular or square cap of wood fixed on the head of a flag-staff, with small holes for halyards → 1626 nautical usage
► UNION JACK 1. the national flag of Great Britain → 1674
2. a small flag, adapted from the US national flag, consisting of white stars on a blue background, flown at the bows of a vessel in harbour → 1832 US
► VEXILLUM in Roman History: a flag or banner carried by Roman troops → 1683
► WAFF a flag, a banner; a signal made by waving → 1825 Sc.
► WAFT a flag hoisted as a signal → 1644 nautical usage
► WAIF a small flag used as a signal → 1530
► WELSH DRAGON the Welsh flag → 1833
► WHIFF a flag hoisted as a signal → 1693
► WHIFT ► WIFT a small signal flag → 1644
► WHIFFLER a flag → 1760 obs.
► WHITE FLAG a flag of white material displayed as a sign of peaceful or friendly intentions, desire for parley, or willingness to surrender → 1578
► WIMPLE a flag or streamer → 1656
► YELLOW FLAG 1. a flag of yellow material, or one patterned with squares of yellow and black, displayed on a ship to indicate the presence of infectious disease or a state of quarantine → 1788
2. in motor racing: a flag of yellow material used to warn drivers of a hazard ahead → 1902
► YELLOW JACK a yellow flag flown by a ship as a signal of quarantine → 1753
NOUNS – PERSON
► BEARER a person whose job or ceremonial role is to carry the flag of a particular country or institution → 1467
► FLAG-WAGGER a flag-signaller → 1919
► RAG CARRIER an ensign, charged with carrying the flag → 1785 sl.
► STANDARD-BEARER a person who carries a flag, banner, etc., as part of a ceremonial procession → 1495
VERBS
► DISVELOP to display or unfurl a banner or flag → 1592 orig. Heraldry, obs.
► DOUSE ► DOWSE to lower a flag, especially in a rapid manner → 1626 nautical usage
► ENSTAFF to put a flag on a staff; to hoise → 1611 obs.
► FURL to roll or gather up a flag into small compass → 1647
► HEAVE ► HEAVE OUT to unfurl a flag → 1692 nautical usage
► MAKE A WAFT to hang out a flag as a signal → 1673
► STREAM of a flag: to wave or float outwards in the wind → 1560
► UNFURL to open or spread out a flag to the wind → 1641
► WAFT to signal by waving a flag → 1578
► WIGWAG to wave a flag to and fro in signalling → 1846 colloq.
Lexicophilia 