a1387 J. Trevisa tr. R. Higden Polychron. (St. John's Cambr.) (1872) IV. 157 Þere herdes fond hym among mory flagges and sprayes, and sente hym to Silla.

c1440 Promptorium Parvulorum 165 Flegge, infra in S. idem quod sedge.

a1533 Ld. Berners tr. A. de Guevara Golden Bk. M. Aurelius (1546) sig. Q The drye flaxe will brenne in the fyre, and the grene flagge smoke in the flame.

1563 B. Googe Eglogs Epytaphes & Sonettes sig. D.i He that once preserued in Flags, the sely suckyng Chylde.

1624 J. Smith Gen. Hist. Virginia ii. 26 The chiefe root they haue for food..groweth like a flagge in Marishes.

1764 C. Churchill Duellist i. 10 On Lethe's stream, like flags, to rot.

1842 Guide to Trade, Cooper 74 A flag or rush should be put round the groove.

1873 G. C. Davies Mountain, Meadow & Mere ii. 6 Gazing with a feeling akin to awe at..the tall rushes and flags.

?1550 H. Llwyd tr. Pope John XXI Treasury of Healthe sig. G.i The ioyce of yellowe flagge put in to thine eare is of the same operacion.

1578 H. Lyte tr. R. Dodoens Niewe Herball ii. xxxv. 193 That kinde [of Iris] whose flower is purple and blewe is called..of some..garden flagges.

1580 Baret's Aluearie (rev. ed.) F 639 The water Flagge, or the yellowe wild Iris.

1640 J. Parkinson Theatrum Botanicum i. xlviii. 139 The sweet smelling Flagge.

1829 J. Togno & E. Durand tr. H. Milne-Edwards & P. Vavasseur Man. Materia Medica x. 406 The American Blue Flag, Iris versicolor.

1577 W. Harrison Hist. Descr. Islande Brit. i. xiii. f. 38/1, in R. Holinshed Chron. I The haye of our lowe meadowes is..also more rowty, foggy & full of flagges.

1640 tr. J. A. Comenius Janua Linguarum Reserata (new ed.) xxxii. §387 Arable ground being..cleered from the roots of the flag.

1847 J. O. Halliwell Dict. Archaic & Provinc. Words I Flag..also applied to the small pieces of coarse grass common in some meadows.

1878–86 J. Britten & R. Holland Dict. Eng. Plant-names Flag (3)..Probably Aira cæspitosa L.

1778 C. Milne Bot. Dict. (ed. 2) Algæ, Flags.

1807 J. E. Smith Introd. Physiol. & Systematical Bot. 402 Algæ, Flags, whose herb is likewise a frond.

1656 J. Trapp Comm. Eph. vi. 4 Like Moses in the flag-bed.

1753 Chambers's Cycl. Suppl. Flag-flower. See Iris.

1801 R. Southey Thalaba II. xi. 291 The flag-flower blossomed on its side.

1848 W. H. Emory Notes Mil. Reconnaissance 92 in U.S. Congress. Serial Set (30th Congr., 1st Sess.: House of Representatives Exec. Doc. 41) IV It [sc. the island] was overgrown with willow, cane, Gila grass, flag grass, &c.

1652 in Early Rec. Town of Providence (Rhode Island) (1893) II. 64 John Field shall have the Flagge-pond.

1680 in A. Perry & C. S. Brigham Early Rec. Portsmouth (Rhode Island) (1901) 204 The flag pond where the fence now stands.

1837 T. C. Haliburton Clockmaker 1st Ser. (ed. 2) ix. 66 He chases [the horses]..over ditches, creeks, wire holes, and flag ponds.

1707 J. Mortimer Whole Art Husbandry (1708) 287 At D is a spade..the Edges of which are as sharp as a knife, which makes it easie to cut Flag-roots.

1881 S. P. McLean Cape Cod Folks (ed. 8) v. 107 Grandma fed him with bits of unsweetened flag-root.

1840 R. H. Dana Two Years before Mast xxviii. 96 Furniture, including a dozen flag-bottomed chairs.

1878 S. Smiles Robert Dick vii. 79 Beyond them the flag-fenced fields in the distance.

1606 J. Sylvester tr. G. de S. Du Bartas Deuine Weekes & Wks. (new ed.) ii. iii. 115 Th' aged Flood..pensive leaning his flag-shaggie head Vpon a Tuffe.

c1440 Promptorium Parvulorum 16 Flagge of þe erthe..terricidium.

1633 P. Fletcher Purple Island viii. lvi. 120 Upon his shield an heap of fennie mire In flagges and turfs..Did smoth'ring lie, not burn.

1691 J. Ray S. & E. Country Words (E.D.S.) Flags, the surface of the earth, which they pare off to burn; the upper turf. Norf.

1847 Jrnl. Royal Agric. Soc. 8 ii. 306 The flags are burnt in small heaps.

1867 Jrnl. Royal Agric. Soc. 2nd Ser. 3 ii. 659 Covered with grass flag, cut 3 inches thick.

1787 W. Marshall Provincialisms in Rural Econ. Norfolk II. 379 Flag, the furrow turned.

1795 Ann. Agric. 23 27 To dibble beans, one row on each flag.

1800 Trans. Soc. Arts 18 109 The plough..turned over a flag of nine inches.

1823 E. Moor Suffolk Words 128 Flag..the portion of clover land turned at once by the plough.

a1825 R. Forby Vocab. E. Anglia (1830) Flag 2, the surface of a clover lay of the second year, turned up by the plough. The wheat for the next year's crop is dibbled into the flag.

1845 Jrnl. Royal Agric. Soc. 5 ii. 340 Nothing rose to cover the ground after the first mowing, so as to make a flag for the wheat.

1604 in J. Barmby Churchwardens' Accts. Pittington (1888) 282 A cesse of iijd. the pound shalbe levied for the winninge of flaggs.

1658 in J. A. Picton City of Liverpool: Select. Munic. Rec. (1883) I. 188 That a new flagge be laid over the watercourse.

1774 T. Pennant Tour Scotl. 1772 297 A stone chest formed of six flags.

1799 J. Robertson Gen. View Agric. Perth 34 The brown flags..were at one period used..in covering houses.

1810 E. D. Clarke Trav. Var. Countries: Pt. 1st vii. 131 The new promenade..is paved with large flags.

1871 J. Tyndall Fragm. Sci. (1879) I. xii. 308 With a hammer and chisel I can cleave them into flags.

1801 M. Edgeworth Forester in Moral Tales I. 131 Dancing dogs, that he was exhibiting upon the flags.

a1861 A. H. Clough Dipsychus ii. iv, in Lett. & Remains (1865) 182 Shall I..like the walking shoe-black roam the flags To see whose boots are dirtiest?

1800 in Spirit of Public Jrnls. (1801) 4 263 The flag-way is pleasant to saunter and idle.

1875 J. S. Le Fanu Willing to Die xix. 116 He walked slowly up and down the silent flagway.

1849 R. I. Murchison Siluria vii. 125 These flaglike strata.

1895 Daily News 21 Nov. 6/2 The street is flag-paved.

1926 W. J. Locke Old Bridge ii. vii A narrow flag-paved street.

1486 Bk. St. Albans B j The federis at the wynges next the body be calde the flagg or the fagg federis.

1575 G. Turberville Bk. Faulconrie 274 Otherwhile it chaunceth, through the hurte of a Hawkes wing, that one or twoo of hir Flagges..are broosed.

1615 T. Tomkis Albumazar ii. iv. sig. D4^v If I mue these Flagges of Yeomanry.

1635 F. Quarles Emblemes iii. i. 130 Like as the Hagard, cloyster'd in her Mue..to renew Her broken Flags.

1678 J. Ray tr. F. Willughby Ornithol. 84 The flag-feathers of the Wing [of the Kestrel] are in number twenty four.

1728 E. Chambers Cycl. at Feather The Vanes, or Webs in the flag Part of the Wing are incomparable.

1858 W. Clark tr. J. van der Hoeven Handbk. Zool. II. 379 Wings acute, with flag-feathers often short.

1890 E. Coues Handbk. Field & Gen. Ornithol. ii. iii. 182 Crural feathers are..sometimes long and flowing, as in the ‘flags’ of most hawks.

1582 N. Lichefield tr. F. L. de Castanheda 1st Bk. Hist. Discouerie E. Indias xlii. 98 Then the enimies helde up a flagge. [Margin] This flag was a sign and request of peace.

1626 J. Smith Accidence Young Sea-men 25 They hang out a flag of truse.

1775 R. Montgomery in J. Sparks Corr. Amer. Revol. (1853) I. 495 Firing upon a flag of truce.

1779 T. Jefferson Let. 1 Oct. in Papers (1951) III. 97 A flag sails hence tomorrow..to negociate the exchange of some prisoners.

1810 Duke of Wellington Dispatches (1838) VI. 107 He should fire upon all flags in future.

1842 T. Campbell Napoleon & Brit. Sailor 62 He gave the tar a piece of gold, And, with a flag of truce, commanded He should be shipp'd to England Old.

1644 H. Mainwaring Sea-mans Dict. at Flaggs At sea to lower or strike ones Flagg in fight is a token of yeelding, but otherwise of great obedience and respect.

1673 Ld. Shaftesbury Speech 5 Feb. in Orig. Jrnls. House of Lords 55 12 They came to that height of Insolence, as to deny the Honour and Right of the Flag.

1699 B. E. New Dict. Canting Crew Flagg..The Flag of Defiance is out, (among the Tars) the Fellow's Face is very Red, and he is Drunk.

1779 F. Hervey et al. Naval Hist. Great Brit. II. 146 Firing upon a Dutch man of war who refused him the honour of the flag.

1802 Windham Speech Definit. Treaty 13 May in Speeches (1812) III. 428 The notion that peace would hush up all our dangers had induced us to give up to Holland the honour of the flag.

1881 F. T. Palgrave Visions of Eng. 275 Above the war-thunder came shouting, as foe struck his flag after foe.

1914 J. W. Stalker (title of song) Keep the old flag flying.

1918 A. Hurd Brit. Fleet Great War iv. 48 It was only..by releasing 11,000 or 12,000 trained officers and men from non-fighting ships—vessels that ‘showed the flag’, to quote the phrase of the moment—that it became possible..to obtain crews for what was to become the Grand Fleet.

1919 M. Beerbohm Seven Men 20 Neither he nor his work received the slightest encouragement; but he persisted in behaving as a personage: always he kept his dingy little flag flying.

1931 Times Lit. Suppl. 1 Oct. 740/3 Professor Warfield kept the flag flying in the theological seminary of Princeton.

1937 E. Partridge Dict. Slang 281/1 Show the flag, to put in an appearance, just to show that one is there.

1957 D. Macintyre Jutland iii. 36 There had been flag-showing cruises.

1959 Listener 14 May 826/2 ‘Showing the flag’ means a British ship going to a foreign port.

1963 Times 7 Feb. 18/6 This was a genuine effort on the bank's part to show the flag at a time when they thought it should be shown. A series of six British products would be advertised.

1965 ‘A. Nicol’ Truly Married Woman 29 They had formed a literary club to keep the flag of culture flying.

1909 Daily Chron. 26 June 6/2 Taxi-cab ‘flag up’ case... A taxicab driver..was found guilty of defrauding his employers..by driving a cab of the company with the flag up, thus putting into his own pocket money that should have gone to the company.

1910 Punch 14 Dec. 421/1 Or in the pouring rain..a taxi will go by with the flag up.

1924 C. Mackenzie Old Men of Sea i. 3 I would walk by the kerb and peer with futile optimism at the drooping flags of the many taxis.

1969 ‘J. Morris’ Fever Grass i. 5 The driver..did not lean across to lift the little red metal flag of the meter mounted on the dashboard by the left front window.

1856 ‘Stonehenge’ Man. Brit. Rural Sports viii. 203 The Duties of the Flag-Steward are to..see that the flagman hoists the right flag... The Field-Stewards..should have one or two flagmen with blue flags.

1890 ‘R. Boldrewood’ Colonial Reformer xx He will be there, or thereabouts, when the flag falls, I'll lay.

1890 in A. E. T. Watson Turf (1898) 232 Every horse shall be considered as having started which is under the Starter's orders when the advance flag has been raised.

1895 G. J. Manson Sporting Dict. When the first horse reaches the winning post, one of the judges there drops a flag.

1898 in A. E. T. Watson Turf iv. 113 It had been supposed by many that no horse of this age could win with so heavy a burden; but there was never any doubt as to the result after the flag had fallen.

1925 E. F. Norton in E. F. Norton et al. Fight for Everest: 1924 200 It would be a great help to the leader of a future expedition in making up his mind when to ‘drop the flag’.

1930 Brit. Chess Mag. I. 48 In a time-scramble..the Hungarian's flag actually fell.

1951 ‘Assiac’ Adventure in Chess iii. ii. 93 Reshevsky..would remain quite unperturbable by the nerve-racking need to make half a dozen moves or more with the ‘flag’ on his clock about to drop in a matter of seconds.

1969 ‘A. Glyn’ Dragon Variation ii. 49 Carl's clock flag had now fallen, but it didn't matter any more. The game was over.

1956 Times 20 Aug. 7/2 ‘We Greeks didn't invent the so-called flag of convenience,’ he said, somewhat indignantly.

1957 Britannica Bk. of Year 416/2 The phenomenal growth of merchant fleets registered under the flags of such non-maritime countries as Liberia and Panama began [in 1956] to cause alarm... The ownership of such vessels, under what came to be known as ‘flags of convenience’, was vested mainly in U.S. and Greek companies and citizens of other nationalities. Owners of ships registered in such countries were able to avoid the high rates of taxation applicable in most of the traditional maritime countries, or, in the case of U.S. companies, the handicaps of U.S. shipping legislation.

1971 B. Callison Plague of Sailors iii. 94 ‘Owners?’ I queried. ‘Greek firm—it's a flag of convenience set-up—called Manentis Shipping.’

1956 E. C. Arnold Functional Newspaper Design vi. 108 Some papers have dropped the article The from their flag.

1967 Boston Globe 18 May 27/5 The New York Times recently made a sensational change in its ‘flag’ across the top of Page One.

1959 Jrnl. Assoc. Computing Machinery 6 147 It is necessary to define the information with flag words inserted directly in the physical records.

1959 Jrnl. Assoc. Computing Machinery 6 148 There are a number of end flags which indicate the end of a string of information.

1967 N. S. M. Cox & M. W. Grose Organization Bibliogr. Rec. by Computer 151 The fields and their ‘flags’ are specified..to ensure consistency in input.

1695 London Gaz. No. 3088/4 A Squadron of Dutch Ships, whereof 3 carried Flags.

1697 London Gaz. No. 3329/4 Sir George Rooke hoisted his Flag on Board the Defyance.

1707 London Gaz. No. 4390/3 This Morning he struck his Flag on board the Nassau.

1769 W. Falconer Universal Dict. Marine at Admiral Rear-admirals that have carried no flag.

1796 Ld. Nelson in Dispatches & Lett. (1845) II. 187 The Admiral thinks I shall be ordered to hoist my Flag here.

1809 Sir A. Hammond in G. Rose Diaries (1860) II. 359 I never meant to charge him with having deprived me of my flag.

1867 W. H. Smyth & E. Belcher Sailor's Word-bk. Flag..Also, a certain banner by which an admiral is distinguished at sea from the inferior ships of his squadron.

1652 Perfect Account No. 101. 2065 The Garland..was engaged by two Dutch Flags.

1710 London Gaz. No. 4755/2 That they did not do it is attributed to the Loss of their two Flags.

1829 F. Marryat Naval Officer I. vii. 213 I..quitted the flag with a light heart.

1665 S. Pepys Diary 11 Oct. (1972) VI. 262 Not giving to all the Commanders, as well as the Flags.

1719 E. Byng in J. K. Laughton Mem. Relating to Ld. Torrington (1889) p. xi My whole pay as a flag of the fleet.

1747 J. Lind Lett. Navy (1757) i. 23 If more than two flags, then the commander in chief is to have one half of the eight.

1867 W. H. Smyth & E. Belcher Sailor's Word-bk. Flag.

1929 F. C. Bowen Sea Slang 49 Flags, a Flag Lieutenant.

1936 S.P.E. Tract (Soc. for Pure Eng.) No. XIVII. 257 His Admiral and perhaps others will continue to call him ‘the Flag Lieutenant’ (familiarly ‘Flags’).

1835 E. Bulwer-Lytton Rienzi I. ii. iii. 244 The different servitors and flag-bearers ranged themselves on the steps without.

1870 Colomb & Bolton Flashing Signals 39 The flag-case is made of strong patent leather.

1901 Westm. Gaz. 28 Oct. 2/2 The Frenchman..is an indefatigable flag-planter.

1899 Daily News 12 July 4/4 Foreign politics in these regions, not content with pinpricks and flag-plantings.

1901 Westm. Gaz. 10 Oct. 3/1 This plan of flag-planting is distinctly ingenious. We shall have to speak of planting out flags (instead of pegging out claims) for posterity.

1884 Pall Mall Gaz. 9 Sept. 3/2 That is a contretemps to which annexation by flagpoles is occasionally exposed.

1904 Daily Chron. 12 Aug. 5/7 The flag-bedecked town.

1906 Daily Chron. 9 May 7/4 The flag-bedecked fleet.

1937 A. Koestler Spanish Test. i. 29 Bending over a flag-bedecked map with Colonel Questa and a German airman.

1887 Times (Weekly ed.) 24 June 4/4 The houses..were largely flag-bedizened.

1899 Daily News 18 July 6/3 In flag-decked cages.

1926 M. Leinster Dew on Leaf 41 Flag-decked floating temple.

1897 E. L. Voynich Gadfly iii. viii The sunlit blaze of carpeted street and flag-hung walls.

1905 Daily Chron. 25 Dec. 3/5 The Rev. Michael Adler preached a sermon from the flag-hung pulpit.

1849 D. Rock Church our Fathers II. i. vii. 490 Figures..fastened flag-wise upon staves.

1906 Westm. Gaz. 8 June 2/1 One leaf left, flagwise, on its battered stem.

1540 [implied in: R. Jonas tr. E. Roesslin Byrth of Mankynde i. f. lvi^v That her brestes..be neyther to great, softe, hangynge, and flaggynge. (at flagging adj.)].

1609 Bible (Douay) I. Exod. xxxix. 19 Which a lace of hyacinth ioyned, lest they should flagge loosely.

1650 J. Bulwer Anthropometamorphosis 178 Least the heavy Breasts should flag down too low.

1655 Theophania 2 He discovered a tall Ship with her sails flaging about her masts.

1801 R. Southey Thalaba I. iii. 132 When the outstrained tent flags loosely.

1817 P. B. Shelley Laon & Cythna iii. xvii. 65 Its sails were flagging in the breathless noon.

1605 Abp. G. Abbot Briefe Descr. Worlde (rev. ed.) sig. T2^v Which beddes are deuises made of Cotten wooll, and hunge vp betweene two trees..in the which flagging downe in the middle, men and their wiues and their children do lie together.

1637 T. Heywood Anna & Phillis in Dial. in Wks. (1874) VI. 310 No one but droopes her wings, and flags her tayle.

a1644 F. Quarles Shepheards Oracles (1646) vii Whereby I was compelled To flag my sailes.

1725 R. Bradley Chomel's Dictionaire Œconomique at Celery It warps and flags its Head too much.

1757 W. Thompson Royal Navy-men's Advocate 20 Dogs..have flaged their Tails..and would not even smell to it.

1848 C. Kingsley Saint's Trag. v. iii. 240 One bird Flags fearful onward.

1850 C. Kingsley N. Devon: Pt. III in Misc. (1860) II. 308 Long strings of sea~fowl are flagging on steadily at railroad pace.

1639 T. Fuller Hist. Holy Warre iv. xi. 188 No wonder then if the wings of that armie did quickly flag, having so heavy a weight of curses hanging upon them.

1665 R. Boyle Occas. Refl. ii. v. sig. O6^v Too commonly our Resolutions flagg with our Joys.

1691 J. Norris Pract. Disc. Divine Subj. 312 We shall be..far from flagging in our Duty.

1692 J. Locke Some Thoughts conc. Educ. §15 (1699) 23 His Stomach..flagging into a downright want of Appetite.

1725 D. Defoe Compl. Eng. Tradesman I. vi. 82 His credit by degrees flags and goes off.

1780 F. Burney Lett. July She does not suffer one's attention to rest, much less to flag, for hours together.

1810 W. Scott Lady of Lake i. 9 'Twere long to tell what steeds gave o'er..Who flagged upon Bochastle's heath.

1821 P. B. Shelley Boat on Serchio 94 The boat..flags with intermitting course, And hangs upon the wave.

1853 A. Soyer Pantropheon 394 The major-domo perceived that appetite began to flag.

1856 E. K. Kane Arctic Explor. I. xii. 127 The dogs began to flag; but we had to press them.

1874 L. Stephen Hours in Libr. 1st Ser. 73 His zeal in setting forth an example never flags for an instant.

1678 R. Cudworth True Intellect. Syst. Universe i. iv. 253 Yet doth he sometimes..seem to flag a little, and speak more Languidly and Sceptically about it.

1711 J. Swift in Misc. Prose & Verse 168 The pleasures of the town begin to flag and grow languid.

1767 T. Gray Let. 12 Aug. in Corr. (1971) III. 974 The diction is..not loaded with epithets & figures, nor flagging into prose.

1773 H. Chapone Lett. Improvem. Mind II. 99 Suffering the conversation to flag, for want of..a subject.

1839 C. Dickens Nicholas Nickleby vi. 43 When this topic flagged, he turned..to the grey-headed gentleman and asked if he could sing.

1861 T. Hughes Tom Brown at Oxf. I. xiv. 249 By degrees the cricket flagged, and most of the men went off.

1881 W. Besant & J. Rice Chaplain of Fleet I. x. 227 Come, gentlemen, we let the glasses flag.

1608 Yorkshire Trag. sig. B Shall it be said in all societies, That I broke custome, that I flagd in monie.

1622 F. Markham Five Decades Epist. of Warre v. ix. 197 The minde..if still it be ouerlaid with its owne toile, must..either flag her wings or stoope to a faulse prey.

1687 J. Dryden Hind & Panther iii. 101 Nor need they fear the dampness of the Sky Should flag their wings, and hinder them to fly.

1709 M. Prior Ode iii The Thousand Loves, that arm thy potent Eye, Must..flag their Wings, and die.

1715 J. Barker Exilius i. 94 Our Roman Eagles..began to flag their Wings.