flag1

[flag] /flæg/
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 (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, flagging.
10.
to place a flag or flags over or on; decorate with flags.
11.
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.
12.
to communicate (information) by or as if by a flag.
13.
to decoy, as game, by waving a flag or the like to excite attention or curiosity.
14.
to mark (a page in a book, file card, etc.) for attention, as by attaching protruding tabs.
15.
(of a brush) to split the ends of the bristles.
Idioms
16.
strike the 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.
Also, strike one's flag.
Origin
1475-85; perhaps blend of flap (noun) and fag1 (noun) in obsolete sense “flap”
Related forms
flagger, noun
flagless, adjective

flag2

[flag] /flæg/
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.
Origin
1350-1400; Middle English flagge

flag3

[flag] /flæg/
verb (used without object), flagged, flagging.
1.
to fall off in vigor, energy, activity, interest, etc.:
Public enthusiasm flagged when the team kept losing.
2.
to hang loosely or limply; droop.
Origin
1535-45; perhaps blend of of flap (v.) and fag1 (v.) in obsolete sense “to droop”. See flag1
Synonyms
1. dwindle, wilt, slump, sag, wane.

flag4

[flag] /flæg/
noun
1.
flagstone (def 1).
2.
flags, flagstone (def 2).
verb (used with object), flagged, flagging.
3.
to pave with flagstones.
Origin
1400-50; late Middle English flagge piece of sod; akin to Old Norse flaga slab
Related forms
flagger, noun
Examples from the web for flags
  • Flagging the objective of flagging is to claim all flags for your team or frequency.
  • Several countries use green on their flags for symbolic or cultural reasons.
  • Hurricane harbor, a large water park owned by six flags, is also in arlington.
British Dictionary definitions for flags

flags

/flæɡz/
plural noun
1.
(rare) the long feathers on the leg of a hawk or falcon

flag1

/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 (sense 2)
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.
(Austral & NZ) 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. (informal) to be present; make an appearance
14.
strike the flag, lower the flag
  1. to relinquish command, esp of a ship
  2. to submit or surrender
verb (transitive) flags, flagging, flagged
15.
to decorate or mark with a flag or flags
16.
(often foll by down) to warn or signal (a vehicle) to stop
17.
to send or communicate (messages, information, etc) by flag
18.
to decoy (game or wild animals) by waving a flag or similar object so as to attract their attention
19.
to mark (a page in a book, card, etc) for attention by attaching a small tab or flag
20.
(mainly Austral) to draw attention to (something)
21.
(NZ) foll by away or by. to consider unimportant; brush aside
See also flag out, flags, flag up
Derived Forms
flagger, noun
flagless, adjective
Word Origin
C16: of uncertain origin

flag2

/flæɡ/
verb (intransitive) flags, flagging, flagged
1.
to hang down; become limp; droop
2.
to decline in strength or vigour; become weak or tired
Word Origin
C16: of unknown origin

flag3

/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
See also sweet flag
Word Origin
C14: probably of Scandinavian origin; compare Dutch flag, Danish flæg yellow iris

flag4

/flæɡ/
noun
1.
short for flagstone
verb flags, flagging, flagged
2.
(transitive) to furnish (a floor) with flagstones
Word Origin and History for flags

flag

n.

"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.

"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.)).

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."

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.

Slang definitions & phrases for flags

flag

noun
  1. The pennant awarded annually to a league championship team (1883+ Baseball)
  2. An assumed name; alias (1930s+ Underworld)
verb
  1. (also flag down) To hail a vehicle, person, etc; signal a stop: He was barreling along till she flagged him down (1850s+)
  2. To arrest; bust: They flagged my reefer man yesterday (1940s+ Underworld)
  3. To designate as someone who will not be served more liquor; eighty-six: Babris asked Pilone whether the men were ''the local troublemakers'' and then demanded that they be ''flagged,'' the bartender testified (1980s+)

flags in the Bible

(Heb., or rather Egyptian, ahu, Job 8:11), rendered "meadow" in Gen. 41:2, 18; probably the Cyperus esculentus, a species of rush eaten by cattle, the Nile reed. It also grows in Palestine. In Ex. 2:3, 5, Isa. 19:6, it is the rendering of the Hebrew _suph_, a word which occurs frequently in connection with _yam_; as _yam suph_, to denote the "Red Sea" (q.v.) or the sea of weeds (as this word is rendered, Jonah 2:5). It denotes some kind of sedge or reed which grows in marshy places. (See PAPER ØT0002840, REED.)