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quarantine flag

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noun Nautical.
  1. a yellow flag, designating the letter Q in the International Code of Signals: flown by itself to signify that a ship has no disease on board and requests a pratique, or flown with another flag to signify that there is disease on board ship.
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Origin of quarantine flag

First recorded in 1870–75
Also called yellow flag.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for quarantine flag

Historical Examples

  • Sick-room and sick-bed are also in common use, and sick-flag is used in place of the American quarantine-flag.

    The American Language

    Henry L. Mencken

  • In that of the midshipmen he may probably find a youth with the quarantine-flag up; that is, in the sick-list.

British Dictionary definitions for quarantine flag

quarantine flag

noun
  1. nautical the yellow signal flag for the letter Q, flown alone from a vessel to indicate that there is no disease aboard and to request pratique or, with a second signal flag, to indicate that there is disease aboardAlso called: yellow flag, yellow jack
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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