Fly_(flag)
Flag terminology is the nomenclature, or system of terms, used in vexillology, the study of flags, to describe precisely the parts, patterns, and other attributes of flags and their display.
- Banderole or bannerol
Main article: Banderole
A small flag or streamer carried on the lance of a knight, or a long, narrow flag flown from the masthead of a ship.- Banner
Main article: Banner
Generically, a synonym for a flag of any kind, and in heraldry specifically, a square or rectangular flag whose design is identical to the shield of a coat of arms; also denominated a banner of arms.- Burgee
Main article: Burgee
A distinguishing flag of a recreational boating organisation, which commonly has the shape of a pennant.- Civil ensign, merchant flag, or merchant ensign
Main article: Civil ensign
A version of a national flag that is flown on civil ships to denote their nationality.- Civil flag
Main article: Civil flag
A version of a national flag that is flown on civil installations or craft.- Colour or color
Main article: Military colours, standards and guidons
The flag of a military unit.- Corner flag
Main article: Football pitch § Pitch boundary
A small flag flown at each of the corners of a football pitch or other sports field.- Courtesy flag or courtesy ensign
Main article: Maritime flag § Courtesy flag
A flag that is flown on a visiting ship in foreign waters as a sign of respect for the foreign nation.- Ensign
Main article: Ensign
The flag of any ship or military unit, or, generically, a synonym for any kind of flag. On ships, an ensign is normally flown at the stern.- Fanion
Main article: Fanion
A small flag that the French military uses.- Gonfalon, gonfanon, or gonfalone
Main article: Gonfalon
A heraldic flag that is suspended and pendent from a crossbar.- Guidon
Main article: Military colours, standards and guidons
A small flag that a military unit flies; in Scottish heraldry, a smaller version of the standard (see below).- Jack
Main article: Jack (flag)
A flag flown from a short jackstaff at the bow of a ship.- Pennon or pennant
Main article: Pennon
A flag that is wider at the hoist than at the fly.- Pipe banner
Main article: Pipe banner
A decorative flag for Scottish Highland bagpipes.- Prayer flag
Main article: Prayer flag
A kind of flag that is flown along mountain ridges and peaks in the Himalayas in order to bless the surrounding land.- Rank flag or distinguishing flag
Main article: Maritime flag § Rank flags
A flag that a superior naval officer flies on his flagship or headquarters.- Signal flag
Main article: Flag signals
A flag or pennant that communicates or signals information that is not heraldic.- Standard
Main article: Heraldic flag § Heraldic standard
In heraldry, a long tapering flag that bears heraldic badges and the motto of the armiger; it may also refer to a military colour that cavalry units fly or a royal standard of a monarch or member of a royal family.- State flag or governmental flag
Main article: State flag
A version of a national flag that represents and may be restricted in use only to the national government and agencies thereof; the design of many state flags consists of the civil flag (see above) defaced with a coat of arms or other heraldic charge.- Vexilloid
Main article: Vexilloid
A flag-like object that is used in a similar symbolic manner as a flag, but that differs from a conventional flag in some way.- Vexillum
Main article: Vexillum
A flag-like object that is suspended from a horizontal crossbar; the Ancient Roman army used it as its military standard.- War flag, military flag, or battle flag
Main article: War flag
A variant of a national flag that a nation's military forces use on land.- Windsock
Main article: Windsock
A conical textile tube that is used to indicate the direction and strength of wind.
- Badge
- A coat of arms or simple heraldic symbol.
- Canton
Main article: Canton (flag)
Any quarter of a flag, but commonly means the upper hoist quarter, such as the field of stars in the flag of the United States or the Union Jack in the Australian Flag.- Charge
- A figure or symbol appearing in the field of a flag.
- Emblem
- A device often used as a charge on a flag. It may be heraldic in origin or modern, for example the maple leaf on the Canadian Flag.
- Field
- The background of a flag; the color behind the charges.
- Fimbriation
- A narrow edging or border, often in white or gold, on a flag to separate two other colors. For example the white and gold lines of the South African Flag.
- Finial
- A decorative or protective cap atop the flagpole. Often shaped like a sphere, but can also be a shape with heraldic significance, such as a spear or an eagle. Sometimes referred to as a capper.
- Fly
- The half or edge of a flag farthest away from the flagpole. This term also sometimes refers to the horizontal length of a flag.
- Heading
Main article: Flag § Hoisting the flag
A piece of loose fabric running along the hoist for attaching a flag to its rope.- Hoist
- The half or edge of a flag nearest to the flagpole. This term also sometimes refers to the vertical dimension of a flag.
- Length
- The span of a flag along the side at right angles to the flagpole.
- Width or breadth
- The span of a flag down the side parallel to the flagpole.
Flags often inherit traits seen in traditional European heraldry designs and as a result patterns often share names.
- Distress
- Flying the flag upside-down,[note 1] or tying it into a wheft.[1]
- Half-mast
Main article: Half-mast
A style of flag display where the flag is flown at least the width of the flag between the top of the flag and the top of the pole.- Hoist
- The act or function of raising a flag, as on a rope.
- Lower
- The act or function of taking down a flag, as on a rope.
Illustrations
Flag illustrations generally depict flags flying from the observer's point of view from left to right, the view known as the obverse (or "front"); the other side is the reverse (or "back"). There are some exceptions, notably some Islamic flags inscribed in Arabic, which is written from right to left; for these the obverse is defined as the side with the hoist to the observer's right.
- Nelson, Phil (30 September 2006). "Flying flags upside down". Flags of the World. Archived from the original on 19 May 2012. Retrieved April 2, 2021.