ensignnoun [ C ]
uk/ˈen.sən/us/ˈen.sən/a flag on a ship that shows which country the ship belongs to
the lowest rank of officer in the British army or the US navy:
He has advanced from an ensign to a lieutenant junior grade.
Examples from literature
- At eight A.M. both vessels hoisted the ensign half-mast.
- The boy ran aft and in a few seconds the red ensign fluttered up the flagstaff, and drooped in the still air.
- They are each one story high, with curled-up roofs, and here and there the military ensign may be seen flying.