Flag

Part of speech: noun, verb

Pronunciation: /flæɡ/

Definitions

1. A textile emblem usually displayed on a pole, representing a country or entity, that may also indicate a signal for attention or express a state of distress or surrender
2. An ensign or banner made of fabric often utilized to denote national identity, which can also serve to signify warning or alertness in various contexts
3. A piece of fabric bearing colors or symbols to represent a nation or organization ; a visual sign used to warn or communicate a message ; to mark something for special notice or caution

Etymology: The noun "flag" for a cloth symbol first appears in English in the Middle English period, but its ancestry is murky. Scholars have proposed several routes: a link to a Middle English word for a baby's garment, an Old English word for a poultice or plaster, or a root meaning "flat, broad," which would describe a cloth spread out in the wind. Dictionaries cannot settle which, and the uncertainty is the main story. The verb meaning to droop or hang loose may be the older sense. Middle English "flacken" meant to flutter or flap, and Old Norse "flögra" meant to flap about. A drooping cloth that flutters in a breeze fits both the verb and the noun, so the cloth may have been named for its motion. Words for fluttering and flapping appear across Germanic languages, including Dutch "vlag," German "Flagge," Swedish "flagga," and Danish "flag," all meaning the same thing. Their shared shape suggests a common Germanic source, though the exact origin remains unresolved.

Synonyms: banner, ensign, pennant, standard, signal

Antonyms: none