flagging1
[flag-ing]
- becoming smaller or weaker; dwindling.
- weak, fatigued, or drooping.
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Origin of flagging1
flagging2
[flag-ing]
- flagstones collectively.
- a pavement or walk of flagstones.
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Origin of flagging2
flag1
[flag]
- 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.
- Ornithology. the tuft of long feathers on the legs of falcons and most hawks; the lengthened feathers on the crus or tibia.
- Hunting. the tail of a deer or of a setter dog.
- Journalism.
- the nameplate of a newspaper.
- masthead(def 1).
- the name of a newspaper as printed on the editorial page.
- a tab or tag attached to a page, file card, etc., to mark it for attention.
- Music. hook1(def 12a).
- Movies, Television. a small gobo.
- Usually flags. the ends of the bristles of a brush, especially a paintbrush, when split.
- 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.
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- to place a flag or flags over or on; decorate with flags.
- 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.
- to communicate (information) by or as if by a flag.
- to decoy, as game, by waving a flag or the like to excite attention or curiosity.
- to mark (a page in a book, file card, etc.) for attention, as by attaching protruding tabs.
- (of a brush) to split the ends of the bristles.
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- strike the flag,
- to relinquish command, as of a ship.
- to submit or surrender: His financial situation is growing worse, but he's not ready to strike the flag.
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Origin of flag1
flag3
[flag]
- to fall off in vigor, energy, activity, interest, etc.: Public enthusiasm flagged when the team kept losing.
- to hang loosely or limply; droop.
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Origin of flag3
Synonyms
See more synonyms for flag on Thesaurus.com1. dwindle, wilt, slump, sag, wane.
flag4
[flag]
- flagstone(def 1).
- flags, flagstone(def 2).
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- to pave with flagstones.
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Origin of flag4
1400–50; late Middle English flagge piece of sod; akin to Old Norse flaga slab
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for flagging
Contemporary Examples
Sounds to me like Pew conducted its survey by flagging down cars full of stoned teenagers and asking nosy questions.
Within Aleppo, the Assad regime controls the balance of power, but its public support is flagging.
Aleppo Conflict Map Shows Assad’s Control By NeighborhoodDavid Kilcullen, Nate Rosenblatt
March 10, 2014
Even humor, the usual respite of the British, seems to be flagging in the wake of an unusually grey winter.
And Democratic support is flagging, with a 15-point gap between Republican support for Israel and Democratic support.
Yet improving conditions for those workers—particularly in the industrial heartland—could save his flagging presidency.
Historical Examples
His end, or her end, is our own in view, and the flagging spirit revives.
A Dish Of OrtsGeorge MacDonald
But what she was noticing was the flagging effort of his vivacity.
Southern Lights and ShadowsVarious
And he went about it with a zest that knew no flagging, with a relish that nothing could impair.
St. Martin's SummerRafael Sabatini
Their spirits rose with his and their flagging hopes revived.
ScaramoucheRafael Sabatini
Flagging energies, lashed by an indomitable will, must persevere.
flagging
- flagstones or a flagged area
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flag1
- 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
- a small paper flag, emblem, or sticker sold on flag days
- 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
- informal short for flag officer, flagship
- journalism another name for masthead (def. 2)
- the fringe of long hair, tapering towards the tip, on the underside of the tail of certain breeds of dog, such as setters
- the conspicuously marked tail of a deer
- a less common name for bookmark
- Australian and NZ the part of a taximeter that is raised when a taxi is for hire
- 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
- the flag (in Victoria, Australia) the Australian Rules premiership
- fly the flag to represent or show support for one's country, an organization, etc
- show the flag
- to assert a claim, as to a territory or stretch of water, by military presence
- informalto be present; make an appearance
- strike the flag or lower the flag
- to relinquish command, esp of a ship
- to submit or surrender
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- to decorate or mark with a flag or flags
- (often foll by down) to warn or signal (a vehicle) to stop
- to send or communicate (messages, information, etc) by flag
- to decoy (game or wild animals) by waving a flag or similar object so as to attract their attention
- to mark (a page in a book, card, etc) for attention by attaching a small tab or flag
- mainly Australian to draw attention to (something)
- (foll by away or by) NZ to consider unimportant; brush aside
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Word Origin
C16: of uncertain origin
flag2
- to hang down; become limp; droop
- to decline in strength or vigour; become weak or tired
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Word Origin
C16: of unknown origin
flag3
- any of various plants that have long swordlike leaves, esp the iris Iris pseudacorus (yellow flag)
- the leaf of any such plant
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See also sweet flag
Word Origin
C14: probably of Scandinavian origin; compare Dutch flag, Danish flæg yellow iris
flag4
- short for flagstone
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- (tr) to furnish (a floor) with flagstones
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Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for flagging
flag
n.2
"flat, split stone," c.1600, earlier "piece cut from turf or sod" (mid-15c.), from Old Norse flaga "stone slab," perhaps related to Old Norse flak (see flake (n.)).
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flag
n.3
aquatic plant, late 14c., "reed, rush," perhaps from a Scandinavian source (cf. Danish flæg "yellow iris") or Dutch flag; perhaps ultimately connected to flag (v.) on notion of "fluttering in the breeze."
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flag
n.1
"cloth ensign," late 15c., now in all modern Germanic languages, but apparently first recorded in English, origin unknown, but likely connected with flag (v.) or else, like it, perhaps imitative. A less likely guess is that it is from the flag in flagstone on notion of being square and flat. U.S. Flag Day (1894) is in reference to the adopting of the Stars and Stripes by the Continental Congress on June 14, 1777.
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flag
v.
1540s, "flap about loosely," perhaps a variant of Middle English flakken, flacken "to flap, flutter" (late 14c.), probably from Old Norse flakka "to flicker, flutter," perhaps imitative of something flapping lazily in the wind.
Sense of "go limp, droop" is first recorded 1610s. Meaning "to designate as someone who will not be served more liquor" is from 1980s, probably from use of flags to signal trains, etc., to halt, which led to the verb in this sense (1856, American English). Related: Flagged; flagging.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper