flag
/flæɡ/ noun, verb
Forms flags flagging flagged
- noun (countable) A piece of cloth, often decorated with an emblem, used as a visual signal or symbol.
- noun The design that could be placed on a flag, typically a rectangular graphic that is used to represent an entity (like a country, organisation or group of people) or an idea. “The flag of France has three vertical stripes.”
- noun (nautical) A flag flown by a ship to show the presence on board of the admiral; the admiral himself, or his flagship.
- noun (nautical, often used attributively) A signal flag.
- noun The use of a flag, especially to indicate the start of a race or other event.
- noun (computer science) A variable or memory location that stores a Boolean true-or-false, yes-or-no value, typically either recording the fact that a certain event has occurred or requesting that a certain optional action take place.
- noun (computer science) In a command line interface, a command parameter requesting optional behavior or otherwise modifying the action of the command being invoked.
- noun (aviation) A mechanical indicator that pops up to draw the pilot's attention to a problem or malfunction.
- verb To furnish or deck out with flags.
- verb To mark with a flag, especially to indicate the importance of something.
- verb (often with down) To signal to, especially to stop a passing vehicle etc. “Please flag down a taxi for me.”
- verb To convey (a message) by means of flag signals. “to flag an order to troops or vessels at a distance”
- verb (often with up) To note, mark or point out for attention. “I've flagged up the need for further investigation into this.”
- verb (computing) To signal (an event). “The compiler flagged three errors.”
- verb (computing) To set a program variable to true. “Flag the debug option before running the program.”
- verb To decoy (game) by waving a flag, handkerchief, etc. to arouse the animal's curiosity.
- verb (intransitive) To weaken, become feeble. “His strength flagged toward the end of the race.”
- verb To hang loose without stiffness; to bend down, as flexible bodies; to be loose, yielding, limp.
- verb To let droop; to suffer to fall, or let fall, into feebleness.
- verb To enervate; to exhaust the vigour or elasticity of.
Synonyms
Boolean switch option dart masthead iris fleur-de-lis sword lily signal flag pin flagstone sag droop swag ease up ease off slacken off
Etymology
From Middle English flag, flagge (“flag”), further etymology uncertain. Perhaps from or related to early Middle English flage (name for a baby's garment) and Old English flagg, flacg (“cataplasm, poultice, plaster”). Or, perhaps ultimately imitative, or otherwise drawn from Proto-Germanic *flaką (“something flat”), from Proto-Indo-European *pleh₂- (“flat, broad, plain”), referring to the shape.
Germanic cognates include Saterland Frisian Flaage (“flag”), West Frisian flagge (“flag”), Dutch vlag (“flag”), German Flagge (“flag”), Swedish flagga (“flag”), Danish flag (“flag, ship's flag”). Compare also Middle English flacken (“to flutter, palpitate”), Swedish dialectal flage (“to flutter in the wind”), Old Norse flögra (“to flap about”). Akin to Old High German flogarōn (“to flutter”), Old High German flogezen (“to flutter, flicker”), Middle English flakeren (“to move quickly to and fro”), Old English flacor (“fluttering, flying”). More at flack, flacker.
Perhaps from a variant of flack (“to hang loose”), from Middle English flacken; or perhaps from Old Norse. Compare Middle Dutch flaggheren, vlaggheren (“to droop, flag”).
From Middle English flagge, of uncertain origin, perhaps from North Germanic; compare Danish flæg (“yellow iris”). Or, possibly from sense 1, referring to its motion in the wind. Compare also Dutch vlag.
From Middle English flag, flagge, probably of Scandinavian/North Germanic origin; compare Icelandic flag.
Webster’s 1913
- verb To hang loose without stiffness; to bend down, as flexible bodies; to be loose, yielding, limp.
- verb To droop; to grow spiritless; to lose vigor; to languish; as, the spirits flag; the streugth flags.
- verb To let droop; to suffer to fall, or let fall, into feebleness; as, to flag the wings. prior.
- verb To enervate; to exhaust the vigor or elasticity of. Nothing so flags the spirits. Echard.
Etymology [Cf. Icel. flaka to droop, hang loosely. Cf. Flacker, Flag an ensign.]
Etymology [Cf. LG. & G. flagge, Sw. flagg, Dan. flag, D. vlag. See Flag to hang loose.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “flag”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details