flag

¹

[ flag ]

noun

1. a piece of cloth, varying in size, shape, color, and design, usually attached at one edge to a staff or cord, and used as the symbol of a nation, state, or organization, as a means of signaling, etc.; ensign; standard; banner; pennant.
2. Ornithology. the tuft of long feathers on the legs of falcons and most hawks; the lengthened feathers on the crus or tibia.
3. Hunting. the tail of a deer or of a setter dog.
4. Journalism.
   1. the nameplate of a newspaper.
   2. masthead ( def 1 ).
   3. the name of a newspaper as printed on the editorial page.
5. a tab or tag attached to a page, file card, etc., to mark it for attention.
6. Music. hook ¹( def 12a ).
7. Movies, Television. a small gobo.
8. Usually flags. the ends of the bristles of a brush, especially a paintbrush, when split.
9. Computers. a symbol, value, or other means of identifying data of interest, or of informing later parts of a program what conditions earlier parts have encountered.

verb (used with object)

, flagged, flag·ging.

1. to place a flag or flags over or on; decorate with flags.
2. to signal or warn (a person, automobile, etc.) with or as if with a flag (sometimes followed by down ):

   to flag a taxi; to flag down a passing car.

3. to communicate (information) by or as if by a flag.
4. to decoy, as game, by waving a flag or the like to excite attention or curiosity.
5. to mark (a page in a book, file card, etc.) for attention, as by attaching protruding tabs.
6. (of a brush) to split the ends of the bristles.

flag

²

[ flag ]

noun

1. any of various plants with long, sword-shaped leaves, as the sweet flag.
2. blue flag.
3. the long, slender leaf of such a plant or of a cereal.

flag

³

[ flag ]

verb (used without object)

, flagged, flag·ging.

1. to fall off in vigor, energy, activity, interest, etc.:

   Public enthusiasm flagged when the team kept losing.

   Synonyms: wane, sag, slump, wilt, dwindle

2. to hang loosely or limply; droop.

flag

⁴

[ flag ]

noun

1. flagstone ( def 1 ).
2. flags, flagstone ( def 2 ).

verb (used with object)

, flagged, flag·ging.

1. to pave with flagstones.

flag

¹

/ flæɡ /

noun

1. any of various plants that have long swordlike leaves, esp the iris Iris pseudacorus ( yellow flag )
2. the leaf of any such plant

flag

²

/ flæɡ /

verb

1. to hang down; become limp; droop
2. to decline in strength or vigour; become weak or tired

flag

³

/ flæɡ /

noun

1. a piece of cloth, esp bunting, often attached to a pole or staff, decorated with a design and used as an emblem, symbol, or standard or as a means of signalling
2. a small paper flag, emblem, or sticker sold on flag days
3. computing an indicator, that may be set or unset, used to indicate a condition or to stimulate a particular reaction in the execution of a computer program
4. informal.
   short for flag officer flagship
5. journalism another name for masthead
6. the fringe of long hair, tapering towards the tip, on the underside of the tail of certain breeds of dog, such as setters
7. the conspicuously marked tail of a deer
8. a less common name for bookmark
9. the part of a taximeter that is raised when a taxi is for hire
10. the pennant-shaped pattern that is formed when a price fluctuation is plotted on a chart, interrupting the steady rise or fall that precedes and then follows it
11. the flag
    (in Victoria, Australia) the Australian Rules premiership
12. fly the flag
    to represent or show support for one's country, an organization, etc
13. show the flag
    1. to assert a claim, as to a territory or stretch of water, by military presence
    2. to be present; make an appearance
14. strike the flag or lower the flag
    1. to relinquish command, esp of a ship
    2. to submit or surrender

verb

1. to decorate or mark with a flag or flags
2. often foll by down to warn or signal (a vehicle) to stop
3. to send or communicate (messages, information, etc) by flag
4. to decoy (game or wild animals) by waving a flag or similar object so as to attract their attention
5. to mark (a page in a book, card, etc) for attention by attaching a small tab or flag
6. to draw attention to (something)
7. foll byaway or by to consider unimportant; brush aside

flag

⁴

/ flæɡ /

noun

1. short for flagstone

verb

1. tr to furnish (a floor) with flagstones

Derived Forms

• ˈflagger, noun
• ˈflagless, adjective

Other Words From

• flag·ger noun
• flag·less adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of flag¹

First recorded in 1475–85; perhaps blend of flap (noun) and fag ² (noun) in obsolete sense “flap”

Origin of flag²

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English flagge

Origin of flag³

First recorded in 1535–45; perhaps blend of of flap (verb) and fag ² (verb) in obsolete sense “to droop”. See flag ¹

Origin of flag⁴

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English flagge “piece of sod”; akin to Old Norse flaga “slab”

Word History and Origins

Origin of flag¹

C14: probably of Scandinavian origin; compare Dutch flag , Danish flæg yellow iris

Origin of flag²

C16: of unknown origin

Origin of flag³

C16: of uncertain origin

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. strike the flag, Also strike one's flag.
   1. to relinquish command, as of a ship.
   2. to submit or surrender:

      His financial situation is growing worse, but he's not ready to strike the flag.

Example Sentences

Let’s say your site was flagged by Google search as having a security issue, be it malware or maybe your site appeared to be hacked.

From Search Engine Land

Amid a flagging economy — Pennsylvania was 47th in job creation under his watch — Corbett became in 2014 the first incumbent Pennsylvania governor to lose reelection since 1854.

From Ozy

However, once an account has been flagged as a close relation to a user, it doesn’t stay in the top place for long.

From Search Engine Watch

That day, a prominent march was planned at the historic Red Fort, where India’s prime minister traditionally hoists the flag on Independence Day.

From MIT Technology Review

Melnyk said police on Friday arrested a protester who hung a rainbow flag on the gates of Poland’s Justice Ministry.

From Washington Blade

Beyond the huge American flag that hung over the street, the mile-long mass of cops ended.

From The Daily Beast

There is only sand, a white ball, and a flag indicating the hole.

From The Daily Beast

When the game starts, there is only sand, a white ball, a flag indicating hole 1, and a “0” at the top of the screen.

From The Daily Beast

But quite unlike the schmuck, and this is the fun part, they never run up the white flag; indeed quite the opposite.

From The Daily Beast

One of the honor guard approached with slow, measured steps and presented the flag to a uniformed captain.

From The Daily Beast

Truly the flag of Britain was trailing in the mire, or these men would not have dared to address him in that fashion.

From Project Gutenberg

A white woman, Mrs. Henry Jacobi, who had been taken prisoner early in the month, crossed the plain holding a white flag.

From Project Gutenberg

Don't you see him right behind that little man in yellow who is carrying a big blue flag?

From Project Gutenberg

Thus shall we see the destinies of this country guided under the orange and red flag.

From Project Gutenberg

A fearsome struggle would surge around that tower where the British flag was flying.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• banner
• emblem
• streamer