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.
Usually, flags.the ends of the bristles of a brush, esp. 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)
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 fol. 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.
—Idiom
16.
strike the flag,
a.
to relinquish command, as of a ship.
b.
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; perh. b. flap(n.) and fag1(n.) in obs. sense “flap”]
"cloth ensign," c.1480, now in all modern Gmc. languages, but apparently first recorded in Eng., origin unknown, but likely connected with flag (v.) or else, like it, onomatopoeic. A less likely guess is that it is from the flag in flagstone (q.v.) on notion of being square and flat. Flagship is 1672, ship bearing an admiral's flag. U.S. Flag Day (1894) is in reference to the adopting of the Stars and Stripes by the Continental Congress on June 14, 1777.
1545, "flap about loosely," perhaps a variant of M.E. flakken, flacken "to flap, flutter," probably from O.N. flakka "to flicker, flutter," perhaps onomatopoeic of something flapping in the wind. Sense of "go limp, droop" is first recorded 1611. 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).
emblem usually consisting of a rectangular piece of cloth of distinctive design
2.
a listing printed in all issues of a newspaper or magazine (usually on the editorial page) that gives the name of the publication and the names of the editorial staff, etc. [syn: masthead]
3.
plants with sword-shaped leaves and erect stalks bearing bright-colored flowers composed of three petals and three drooping sepals [syn: iris]
4.
a rectangular piece of fabric used as a signalling device
5.
flagpole used to mark the position of the hole on a golf green [syn: pin]
6.
stratified stone that splits into pieces suitable as paving stones
7.
a conspicuously marked or shaped tail
verb
1.
communicate or signal with a flag
2.
provide with a flag; "Flag this file so that I can recognize it immediately"
3.
droop, sink, or settle from or as if from pressure or loss of tautness [syn: sag]
4.
decorate with flags; "the building was flagged for the holiday"
flag 1. A variable or quantity that can take on one of two values; a bit, particularly one that is used to indicate one of two outcomes or is used to control which of two things is to be done. "This flag controls whether to clear the screen before printing the message." "The program status word contains several flag bits." See also hidden flag, mode bit. 2. command line option. [The Jargon File] (1998-05-02)
Flag\ (fl[a^]g), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Flagged; p. pr. & vb. n. Flagging.] [Cf. Icel. flaka to droop, hang loosely. Cf. Flacker, Flag an ensign.]1. To hang loose without stiffness; to bend down, as flexible bodies; to be loose, yielding, limp. As loose it [the sail] flagged around the mast. --T. Moore. 2. To droop; to grow spiritless; to lose vigor; to languish; as, the spirits flag; the streugth flags. The pleasures of the town begin to flag. --Swift. Syn: To droop; decline; fail; languish; pine.
Flag\ (fl[a^]g), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Flagged; p. pr. & vb. n. Flagging.] [Cf. Icel. flaka to droop, hang loosely. Cf. Flacker, Flag an ensign.]1. To hang loose without stiffness; to bend down, as flexible bodies; to be loose, yielding, limp. As loose it [the sail] flagged around the mast. --T. Moore. 2. To droop; to grow spiritless; to lose vigor; to languish; as, the spirits flag; the streugth flags. The pleasures of the town begin to flag. --Swift. Syn: To droop; decline; fail; languish; pine.
Flag\ (fl[a^]g), v. t. 1. To let droop; to suffer to fall, or let fall, into feebleness; as, to flag the wings. --prior. 2. To enervate; to exhaust the vigor or elasticity of. Nothing so flags the spirits. --Echard.
Flag\, n. [Cf. LG. & G. flagge, Sw. flagg, Dan. flag, D. vlag. See Flag to hang loose.]1. That which flags or hangs down loosely. 2. A cloth usually bearing a device or devices and used to indicate nationality, party, etc., or to give or ask information; -- commonly attached to a staff to be waved by the wind; a standard; a banner; an ensign; the colors; as, the national flag; a military or a naval flag. 3. (Zo["o]l.) (a) A group of feathers on the lower part of the legs of certain hawks, owls, etc. (b) A group of elongated wing feathers in certain hawks. (c) The bushy tail of a dog, as of a setter. Black flag. See under Black. Flag captain, Flag leutenant, etc., special officers attached to the flagship, as aids to the flag officer. Flag officer, the commander of a fleet or squadron; an admiral, or commodore. Flag of truse, a white flag carried or displayed to an enemy, as an invitation to conference, or for the purpose of making some communication not hostile. Flag share, the flag officer's share of prize money. Flag station (Railroad), a station at which trains do not stop unless signaled to do so, by a flag hung out or waved. National flag, a flag of a particular country, on which some national emblem or device, is emblazoned. Red flag, a flag of a red color, displayed as a signal of danger or token of defiance; the emblem of anarchists. To dip, the flag, to mlower it and quickly restore it to its place; -- done as a mark of respect. To hang out the white flag, to ask truce or quarter, or, in some cases, to manifest a friendly design by exhibiting a white flag. To hang the flaghalf-mast high or half-staff, to raise it only half way to the mast or staff, as a token or sign of mourning. Tostrike, or lower, the flag, to haul it down, in token of respect, submission, or, in an engagement, of surrender. Yellow flag, the quarantine flag of all nations; also carried at a vessel's fore, to denote that an infectious disease is on board.
Flag\, n. [Cf. LG. & G. flagge, Sw. flagg, Dan. flag, D. vlag. See Flag to hang loose.]1. That which flags or hangs down loosely. 2. A cloth usually bearing a device or devices and used to indicate nationality, party, etc., or to give or ask information; -- commonly attached to a staff to be waved by the wind; a standard; a banner; an ensign; the colors; as, the national flag; a military or a naval flag. 3. (Zo["o]l.) (a) A group of feathers on the lower part of the legs of certain hawks, owls, etc. (b) A group of elongated wing feathers in certain hawks. (c) The bushy tail of a dog, as of a setter. Black flag. See under Black. Flag captain, Flag leutenant, etc., special officers attached to the flagship, as aids to the flag officer. Flag officer, the commander of a fleet or squadron; an admiral, or commodore. Flag of truse, a white flag carried or displayed to an enemy, as an invitation to conference, or for the purpose of making some communication not hostile. Flag share, the flag officer's share of prize money. Flag station (Railroad), a station at which trains do not stop unless signaled to do so, by a flag hung out or waved. National flag, a flag of a particular country, on which some national emblem or device, is emblazoned. Red flag, a flag of a red color, displayed as a signal of danger or token of defiance; the emblem of anarchists. To dip, the flag, to mlower it and quickly restore it to its place; -- done as a mark of respect. To hang out the white flag, to ask truce or quarter, or, in some cases, to manifest a friendly design by exhibiting a white flag. To hang the flaghalf-mast high or half-staff, to raise it only half way to the mast or staff, as a token or sign of mourning. Tostrike, or lower, the flag, to haul it down, in token of respect, submission, or, in an engagement, of surrender. Yellow flag, the quarantine flag of all nations; also carried at a vessel's fore, to denote that an infectious disease is on board.
Flag\, v. t. [From Flag an ensign.]1. To signal to with a flag; as, to flag a train. 2. To convey, as a message, by means of flag signals; as, to flag an order to troops or vessels at a distance.
Flag\, v. t. [From Flag an ensign.]1. To signal to with a flag; as, to flag a train. 2. To convey, as a message, by means of flag signals; as, to flag an order to troops or vessels at a distance.
Flag\, n. [From Flag to hang loose, to bend down.] (Bot.) An aquatic plant, with long, ensiform leaves, belonging to either of the genera Iris and Acorus. Cooper's flag, the cat-tail (Typha latifolia), the long leaves of which are placed between the staves of barrels to make the latter water-tight. Corn flag. See under 2d Corn. Flag broom, a coarse of broom, originally made of flags or rushes. Flag root, the root of the sweet flag. Sweet flag. See Calamus, n., 2.
Flag\, n. [From Flag to hang loose, to bend down.] (Bot.) An aquatic plant, with long, ensiform leaves, belonging to either of the genera Iris and Acorus. Cooper's flag, the cat-tail (Typha latifolia), the long leaves of which are placed between the staves of barrels to make the latter water-tight. Corn flag. See under 2d Corn. Flag broom, a coarse of broom, originally made of flags or rushes. Flag root, the root of the sweet flag. Sweet flag. See Calamus, n., 2.
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Audio Help [flag] Pronunciation Key noun, verb, flagged, flag·ging. 
