FLAG Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com (original) (raw)

noun

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.
Ornithology. the tuft of long feathers on the legs of falcons and most hawks; the lengthened feathers on the crus or tibia.
Hunting. the tail of a deer or of a setter dog.
Journalism.
1. the nameplate of a newspaper.
2. masthead.
3. the name of a newspaper as printed on the editorial page.
a tab or tag attached to a page, file card, etc., to mark it for attention.
Music. hook.
Movies, Television. a small gobo.
Usually flags the ends of the bristles of a brush, especially a paintbrush, when split.
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

to place a flag or flags over or on; decorate with flags.
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.
to communicate (information) by or as if by a flag.
to decoy, as game, by waving a flag or the like to excite attention or curiosity.
to mark (a page in a book, file card, etc.) for attention, as by attaching protruding tabs.
(of a brush) to split the ends of the bristles.

idioms

strike the flag, Also strike one's 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.

flag 2 American

[flag] / flæg /

noun

any of various plants with long, sword-shaped leaves, as the sweet flag.
blue flag.
the long, slender leaf of such a plant or of a cereal.

flag 3 American

[flag] / flæg /

verb (used without object)

flagged, flagging

to fall off in vigor, energy, activity, interest, etc..

Public enthusiasm flagged when the team kept losing.
Synonyms:
wane, sag, slump, wilt, dwindle
to hang loosely or limply; droop.

flag 4 American

[flag] / flæg /

verb (used with object)

flagged, flagging

to pave with flagstones.

noun

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
a small paper flag, emblem, or sticker sold on flag days
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
informal short for flag officer flagship
journalism another name for masthead
the fringe of long hair, tapering towards the tip, on the underside of the tail of certain breeds of dog, such as setters
the conspicuously marked tail of a deer
a less common name for bookmark
the part of a taximeter that is raised when a taxi is for hire
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
(in Victoria, Australia) the Australian Rules premiership
to represent or show support for one's country, an organization, etc
1. to assert a claim, as to a territory or stretch of water, by military presence
informal to be present; make an appearance
1. to relinquish command, esp of a ship
to submit or surrender

"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

verb

to decorate or mark with a flag or flags
(often foll by down) to warn or signal (a vehicle) to stop
to send or communicate (messages, information, etc) by flag
to decoy (game or wild animals) by waving a flag or similar object so as to attract their attention
to mark (a page in a book, card, etc) for attention by attaching a small tab or flag
to draw attention to (something)
to consider unimportant; brush aside

"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

verb

to hang down; become limp; droop
to decline in strength or vigour; become weak or tired

"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

noun

any of various plants that have long swordlike leaves, esp the iris Iris pseudacorus ( yellow flag )
the leaf of any such plant

"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

noun

short for flagstone

"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

verb

(tr) to furnish (a floor) with flagstones

"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

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of flag1

First recorded in 1475–85; perhaps blend of flap (noun) and fag 2 (noun) in obsolete sense “flap”

Origin of flag2

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English flagge

Origin of flag3

First recorded in 1535–45; perhaps blend of of flap (verb) and fag 2 (verb) in obsolete sense “to droop”. See flag 1

Origin of flag4

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English flagge “piece of sod”; akin to Old Norse flaga “slab”

Explanation

A flag is a piece of cloth that represents a country, group, or institution. If you're particularly proud of your Irish heritage, you might fly an Irish flag in your front yard. A real flag enthusiast might fly the American flag, their state flag, their city's flag, and the flag of their parents' birth countries. There are also flags used for signaling on ships at sea and during races and sporting events, and flags that represent armies or advertise products. When flag is used as a verb, it means "to lose energy or enthusiasm." When students start to flag in the afternoon, they tend to take a quick nap — sitting up at their desks.

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing flag

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Becerra told The Times that his longtime attorney Stephen Kaufman, whom he was also paying to oversee the account, didn’t flag the payments.

FromLos Angeles Times • May 13, 2026

The stock recently attempted to break out above a bull flag near the very round $50 level, but that move was rejected following a doji candle on April 1.

FromBarron's • May 12, 2026

Calm and composed throughout the week, he appeared to relish the occasion, draped in an Ipswich Town Football Club flag as he soaked up the atmosphere.

FromBBC • May 8, 2026

Leading up to that, he was one of the earliest entrepreneurs to plant his flag in the basic cable realm with the Atlanta-based “superstation” we’d eventually come to know as TBS.

FromSalon • May 8, 2026

The newspaper said he would raise the flag over Independence Hall this week in Philadelphia, then journey on to the Pennsylvania capitol in Harrisburg.

From"The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023