flag

CEFRA2

/flæɡ/

noun

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    noun

    A piece of cloth used as a symbol or signal.

  2. 02

    noun

    Extra detail

    A flag flown by a ship to show the presence on board of the admiral; the admiral himself, or his flagship.

Examples

  • The French flag is blue, white and red.

  • Keep sight of the flag.

At a glance

Sits at A2 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
1
Citations
5
Synonyms
4

Also pronounced

  • /flaɡ/
  • /fleɪ̯ɡ/

Deep Dive

noun

Extra meanings

  1. 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.

  2. A piece of cloth, often decorated with an emblem, used as a visual signal or symbol.

  3. The use of a flag, especially to indicate the start of a race or other event.

More examples

In context

  • The flag of France has three vertical stripes.

  • raise the heroine's flags (in a galge)

  • The flag is up.

Synonyms

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

The referee had to blank the player for a foul, holding up a yellow card.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

noun

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 th...