battle flag
Definition
Noun: A flag that is carried into battle, often serving as a military unit's symbol and a rallying point for troops.
Usage
The term "battle flag" specifically refers to the flag used in a combat context. It is not a general term for any flag used by a military.
Examples
- The sergeant held the battle flag high as the regiment charged forward.
- Preserving the tattered battle flag was a matter of great honor for the veterans.
- Historians studied the unit's battle flag to understand its campaigns.
Advanced Usage
- Figurative Use: The term can be used metaphorically to represent a cause or principle one is fighting for.
- Example: For the activists, their petition became a battle flag for change.
Variants and Related Words
- Standard (n): A distinctive flag or banner, especially of a military unit.
- Colors (n, plural): The flags of a military unit.
- Ensign (n): A flag or banner, especially one on a ship, or a person who carries it.
- Guidon (n): A small flag or streamer carried by military units for identification.
Synonyms
- War flag
- Combat standard
- Regimental colors
Related Idioms and Phrases
- To rally around the flag: To unite in support of a common cause, especially in a time of crisis. (This idiom uses "flag" in a broad sense, not exclusively a battle flag).
- Example: During the crisis, the nation rallied around the flag.
Noun
-
a flag that leads troops into battle
