[ban.ner] n [ME banere, fr. OF, of Gmc origin; akin to Goth bandwo sign; prob. akin to Gk phainein to show--more at fancy] (13c) 1 a: a piece of cloth attached by one edge to a staff and used by a leader ( as a monarch or feudal lord) as his standard b:
[2]flag 1 c: an ensign displaying a distinctive or symbolic device or legend; esp: one presented as an award of honor or distinction
2: a headline in large type running across a newspaper page
3: a strip of cloth on which a sign is painted "welcome ~s stretched across the street"
4: a name, slogan, or goal associated with a particular group or ideology "the new ~ is "community control" --F. M. Hechinger"--often used with under "every new administration arrives ... under the ~ of change --John Cogley"
[2]banner adj (1840) 1: prominent in support of a political party "a ~ Democratic county"
2: distinguished from all others esp. in excellence "a ~ year for business" [3]banner vt (1889) 1: to furnish with a banner
2: to print (as a news story) under a banner usu. on the front page