red flag

noun
1.
the symbol or banner of a left-wing revolutionary party.
2.
a danger signal.
3.
something that provokes an angry or hostile reaction: The talk about raising taxes was a red flag to many voters.
4.
Also called powder flag. Nautical. a red burgee, designating in the International Code of Signals the letter “B,” flown by itself to show that a vessel is carrying, loading, or discharging explosives or highly inflammable material.
5.
(initial capital letters) a war game the U.S. Air force holds several times each year at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, to train personnel in air combat.

Origin:
1770–80

00:10
Red flag is always a great word to know.
So is gobo. Does it mean:
a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison.
a screen or mat covered with a dark material for shielding a camera lens from excess light or glare.
Dictionary.com Unabridged

red-flag

[red-flag] verb, red-flagged, red-flag·ging, adjective
verb (used with object)
1.
to mark or draw attention to for a particular purpose: The department has red-flagged the most urgent repair work to be done.
2.
to provoke the attention of; alert; arouse: The animal's refusal to eat red-flagged the keeper that something was wrong.
adjective
3.
of or pertaining to a red flag.
4.
intended or serving to emphasize, warn, incite, or provoke.

Origin:
1880–85

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source Link To red flag
Collins
World English Dictionary
red flag
 
n
1.  a symbol of socialism, communism, or revolution
2.  a warning of danger or a signal to stop

Red Flag
 
n
the Red Flag a socialist song, written by James Connell (1852--1929), Irish political activist, in 1889

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Example sentences
The fact that she had new-onset diabetes raised a red flag for me, especially
  because she was so thin.
The artifact's lack of provenance had always been a red flag to many scholars.
One red flag means that the surf is high or there are dangerous currents, or
  both.
It seems that genetic manipulation of plants and animals is a red flag for some
  of the commenters to this article.
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