flagship

American  

[flag-ship] / ˈflægˌʃɪp /

noun

1. a ship carrying the flag officer or the commander of a fleet, squadron, or the like, and displaying the officer's flag.

2. the main vessel of a shipping company.

3. any of the best or largest ships or airplanes operated by a passenger line.

4. the best or most important one of a group or system.

   This store is the flagship of our retail chain.

---

adjective

1. being or constituting a flagship.

flagship British  

/ ˈflæɡˌʃɪp /

noun

1. a ship, esp in a fleet, aboard which the commander of the fleet is quartered

2. the most important ship belonging to a shipping company

3. a single item from a related group considered as the most important, often in establishing a public image

   the nine o'clock news is the flagship of the BBC

---

Etymology

Origin of flagship

First recorded in 1665–75; flag ¹ + ship ¹

Example Sentences

And unlike the posh boutiques and flagship international stores that dot that premier North Michigan Avenue address, this street runs through a predominantly Hispanic neighbourhood.

From BBC

Now Pop Mart is opening a 7,000 square foot flagship store in Manhattan’s Times Square, with even more stories planned in malls across America.

From The Wall Street Journal

But Apple’s flagship product is now a mature business that has averaged 1% sales growth per quarter over the past three years.

From The Wall Street Journal

At Tesla’s flagship factory in California, the production lines dedicated to the two luxury electric vehicles will be overhauled so that Tesla can use them to manufacture its Optimus humanoid robots.

From MarketWatch

On Tuesday, the French navy flagship, the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier, set course for the Atlantic for pre-planned military exercises.

From Barron's

Related Words

• bellwether
• crown jewel