I. flag 1 /flæɡ/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[ Sense 1-4: Date: 1500-1600 ; Origin: Perhaps from flag , name of a kind of flower. ]
[ Sense 5: Date: 1400-1500 ; Language: Old Norse ; Origin: flaga ]
1 . a piece of cloth with a coloured pattern or picture on it that represents a country or organization:
Children waving flags greeted the Russian leader.
the flag of Kenya
the Spanish flag
a flag is flying (=a flag is shown on a pole)
Flags were flying at half-mast because of the death of the Premier.
2 . a coloured piece of cloth used in some sports as a signal or as a sign showing the position of something:
The flag went down, and the race began.
a free kick near the corner flag (=flag on a football pitch)
3 . the flag an expression meaning a country or organization and its beliefs, values, and people:
loyalty to the flag
4 . keep the flag flying to achieve success on behalf of your country in a competition:
Bristol kept the flag flying for English rugby with this win.
5 . a ↑ flagstone
⇨ fly the flag at ↑ fly 1 (13)
II. flag 2 BrE AmE verb ( past tense and past participle flagged , present participle flagging )
[ Date: 1500-1600 ; Origin: Origin unknown ]
1 . [transitive] to make a mark against some information to show that it is important:
I’ve flagged the parts I want to comment on.
2 . [intransitive] to become tired or weak:
By the end of the meeting we had begun to flag.
flag somebody/something ↔ down phrasal verb
to make the driver of a vehicle stop by waving at them:
I flagged down a taxi.