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ensign

Pronunciation: /ˈɛn.sɪn/

The English word “ensign” has 9 meanings listed here.

noun

  1. A badge of office, rank, or power.
  2. The lowest grade of commissioned officer in the United States Navy, junior to a lieutenant junior grade.
  3. A flag or banner carried by military units; a standard or color/colour.
  4. The principal flag or banner flown by a ship (usually at the stern) to indicate nationality.
  5. Any prominent flag or banner.
  6. A junior commissioned officer in the 18th and 19th centuries whose duty was to carry the unit's ensign.

verb

  1. To designate as by an ensign.
  2. To distinguish by a mark or ornament.
  3. To distinguish by an ornament, especially by a crown.

Etymology

From Middle English ensigne, from Old French enseigne, from Latin īnsignia, nominative plural of īnsigne, meaning marked, distinguished. Doublet of insignia.

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Definitions are from Wiktionary, extracted by Kaikki.org, and are available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.