quarantine flag


nounNautical.
  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.

Origin of quarantine flag

1
First recorded in 1870–75

Words Nearby quarantine flag

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use quarantine flag in a sentence

  • 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.

  • The yellow quarantine flag, hoisted to prevent communication; whence the term of the yellow flag, and yellow admirals.

    The Sailor's Word-Book | William Henry Smyth
  • At her mizzen-peak flew the American ensign, and at the fore-truck the ominous quarantine flag.

  • And nobody can see her—Now you hoist the quarantine flag, and I shall pull in the net.

    Plays--First Series | August Strindberg

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 aboard: Also called: yellow flag, yellow jack

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