(flag) noun
1. A piece of cloth commonly bearing a device and attached to a staff or halyard: used as a standard, symbol, or signal. See COLOR, ENSIGN, GUIDON, PENNANT, STANDARD.
2. The bushy part of the tail of a dog, as that of a setter.
3. plural Ornithol. The long feathers on the leg of a hawk or other bird of prey; also, those on the second joint of a bird's wing.
4. The tail of a deer.
—black flag A flag with a black field surmounted by white skull and crossbones, traditionally flown by pirate ships; the Jolly Roger.
—Christian flag A flag with a white field (peace) and a blue canton (sincerity), emblazoned with a red cross: adopted by most Protestant churches.
—papal flag A yellow–and–white banner, in which the crossed keys of Saint Peter surmounted by the papal triple crown occupy the center of the white half.
—service flag A flag with red border and white center on which one or more blue or gold stars are sewn, each representing a man or woman in or formerly in the armed forces.
—v.t. flagged, flag·ging
1. To mark out or adorn with flags.
2. To signal with a flag.
3. To send (information) by signals.
4. To decoy, as deer, by or as by waving a flag.
—to flag down To cause to stop, as a train, by signaling with a flag or with a waving motion. [? <FLAG²]
—flag′ger noun
—flag′gy adjective

(flag) noun
1. One of various monocotyledonous plants of the genus Iris, having sword–shaped leaves and growing in moist places; especially, the yellow flag of Europe (I. pseudacorus) and the common blue flag (I. versicolor) of the United States, the State flower of Tennessee.
2. The leaf of a flag.
—v.t. flagged, flag·ging To calk the seams of (a cask) with flags or rushes. [Cf. Du. vlag iris]

(flag) v.i. flagged, flag·ging
1. To grow spiritless or languid; become tired or weak.
2. To hang down; become limp. [? <obs. flack flutter; infl. by OF flaquir droop <flac droopy <L flaccus]

(flag) noun
Split stone for paving; a flagstone.
—v.t. flagged, flag·ging To pave with flagstones. [<ON flaga slab of stone. Akin to FLAKE.]
—flag′ger noun