ensign

Plural: ensigns

Noun

• A junior commissioned officer in the U.S. Navy or Coast Guard.
• a person who holds a commissioned rank in the United States Navy or the United States Coast Guard; below lieutenant junior grade
• an emblem flown as a symbol of nationality
• colors flown by a ship to show its nationality
• A badge of office, rank, or power.
• The lowest grade of commissioned officer in the United States Navy, junior to a lieutenant junior grade.
• A flag or banner carried by military units; a standard or color/colour.
• The principal flag or banner flown by a ship (usually at the stern) to indicate nationality.
• Any prominent flag or banner.
• A junior commissioned officer in the 18th and 19th centuries whose duty was to carry the unit's ensign.

Verb

• To designate as by an ensign.
• To distinguish by a mark or ornament.
• To distinguish by an ornament, especially by a crown.

Examples

• Any charge which has a crown immediately above or upon it, is said to be ensigned.
• Playing ’ENSIGN’ allowed him to block his opponent’s potential triple-word lane.

Synonyms

national flag, ancient, badge, coronet, first NATO commissioned officer grade above OF-0 trainee officer, second lieutenant