black-flag

1 of 2

verb

black-flagged; black-flagging; black-flags

transitive verb

: to signal (a race-car driver) to go immediately to the pits

black flag

2 of 2

noun

: a pirate's flag usually bearing a skull and crossbones

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Meanwhile, the Palestinian tricolor stripe overlaid by a red triangle as well as the black flag signaling no quarter hang in private homes and wave defiantly at demonstrations. Alissa Simon, Variety, 22 Nov. 2022 Near the wooded spot from which the bullet apparently had been fired, investigators found an occult Tarot card — the death card, bearing the image of a skeleton riding a white horse and carrying a black flag. Michael E. Ruane, Washington Post, 1 Oct. 2022 The group’s white and black flag flies over the rubble. Susannah George, Washington Post, 12 Aug. 2022 On that May morning, al-Shabab fighters seized control and planted their black flag at the base. Sudarsan Raghavan, Washington Post, 17 July 2022 Outside the building, barricades were overturned and a black flag was hoisted on a pole. Krishan Francis, The Christian Science Monitor, 9 July 2022 Recent weeks have seen a furor by nationalists over the waving of the red, white, green, and black flag by Palestinians in Israel and in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem. Tia Goldenberg, BostonGlobe.com, 6 June 2022 And scores, maybe hundreds, of prisoners had escaped, free to raise the Islamic State’s black flag and fight again. Washington Post, 22 Jan. 2022 The first person arrested under the law drove a motorcycle carrying a black flag with the slogan into several police officers. NBC News, 20 Jan. 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'black-flag.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Word History

First Known Use

Verb

1963, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1720, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of black-flag was in 1720

Dictionary Entries Near black-flag

blackfishing

black-flag

black flag

Cite this Entry

“Black-flag.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/black-flag. Accessed 7 Dec. 2022.

Kids Definition

black flag

noun
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