Definitions for ensign
ˈɛn sən; for 1-3,5 also -saɪnen·sign

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. ensignnoun

   a person who holds a commissioned rank in the United States Navy or the United States Coast Guard; below lieutenant junior grade

2. national flag, ensignnoun

   an emblem flown as a symbol of nationality

3. ensignnoun

   colors flown by a ship to show its nationality

WiktionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. ensignnoun

   A badge of office, rank, or power

2. ensignnoun

   The lowest grade of commissioned officer in the United States Navy, junior to a lieutenant junior grade.

3. ensignnoun

   A flag or banner carried by military units. See standard, color, colour.

4. ensignnoun

   The principal flag or banner flown by a ship to indicate nationality.

5. ensignnoun

   A junior commissioned officer in the 18th and 19th Centuries whose duty was to carry the unit's ensign.

6. ensignnoun

   A prominent flag or banner.

   Ten thousand thousand ensigns high advanced. -Milton, Paradise Lost.

7. ensignverb

   To designate as by an ensign.

8. ensignverb

   To distinguish by a mark or ornament

9. ensignverb

   To distinguish by an ornament, especially by a crown.

   Any charge which has a crown immediately above or upon it, is said to be ensigned.

Samuel Johnson's DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. ENSIGNnoun

   Etymology: enseigne, French.

   1. The flag or standard of a regiment.

   Hang up your ensigns, let your drums be still;
   For here we entertain a solemn peace. William Shakespeare, H. VI.

   The Turks still pressing on, got up to the top of the walls with eight ensigns, from whence they had repulsed the defendants. Richard Knolles, History of the Turks.

   Men taking occasion from the qualities, wherein they observe often several individuals to agree, range them into sorts, in order to their naming, for the convenience of comprehensive signs; under which individuals, according to their conformity to this or that abstract idea, come to be ranked as under ensigns. John Locke.

   2. Any signal to assemble.

   He will lift up an ensign to the nations from far. Is. v.

   3. Badge; or mark of distinction, rank or office.

   Princes that fly, their sceptres left behind,
   Contempt or pity, where they travel, find;
   The ensigns of our pow’r about we bear,
   And ev’ry land pays tribute to the fair. Edmund Waller.

   The marks or ensigns of virtues contribute not a little, by their nobleness, to the ornament of the figures; such, for example, as are the decorations belonging to the liberal arts, to war or sacrifices. John Dryden, Dufresnoy.

   4. The officer of foot who carries the flag. [Formerly written ancient.]

WikipediaRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Ensign

   An ensign is the national flag flown on a vessel to indicate nationality. The ensign is the largest flag, generally flown at the stern (rear) of the ship while in port. The naval ensign (also known as war ensign), used on warships, may be different from the civil ensign (merchant ships) or the yacht ensign (recreational boats). Large versions of naval ensigns called battle ensigns are used when a warship goes into battle. The ensign differs from the jack, which is flown from a jackstaff at the bow of a vessel. In its widest sense, an ensign is just a flag or other standard. The European military rank of ensign, once responsible for bearing a unit's standard (whether national or regimental), derives from it (in the cavalry, the equivalent rank was cornet, named after a type of flag). Ensigns, such as the ancient Roman ensigns in the Arch of Constantine, are not always flags.

ChatGPTRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. ensign

   An ensign is a distinguishing flag or badge, typically used to symbolize a particular country, organization, or rank. In military terms, it can also refer to a rank or office, typically the lowest officer rank in some navies.

Webster DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Ensignnoun

   a flag; a banner; a standard; esp., the national flag, or a banner indicating nationality, carried by a ship or a body of soldiers; -- as distinguished from flags indicating divisions of the army, rank of naval officers, or private signals, and the like

2. Ensignnoun

   a signal displayed like a standard, to give notice

3. Ensignnoun

   sign; badge of office, rank, or power; symbol

4. Ensignnoun

   formerly, a commissioned officer of the army who carried the ensign or flag of a company or regiment

5. Ensignnoun

   a commissioned officer of the lowest grade in the navy, corresponding to the grade of second lieutenant in the army

6. Ensignverb

   to designate as by an ensign

7. Ensignverb

   to distinguish by a mark or ornament; esp. (Her.), by a crown; thus, any charge which has a crown immediately above or upon it, is said to be ensigned

8. Etymology: [L. enseigne, L. insignia, pl. of insigne a distinctive mark, badge, flag; in + signum mark, sign. See Sign, and cf. Insignia, 3d Ancient.]

WikidataRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Ensign

   An ensign is a national flag when used at sea, in vexillology, or a distinguishing token, emblem, or badge, such as a symbol of office in heraldry. The word has also given rise to the military rank of "ensign", a rank of junior officer once responsible for bearing the ensign. via Scottish, from Old French enseigne "mark, symbol, signal; flag, standard, pennant," from the Latin plural insignia.

Chambers 20th Century DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Ensign

   en′sīn, n. a sign or mark: the sign or flag distinguishing a nation or a regiment: one who carries the colours: until 1871, the title given to officers of the lowest commissioned rank in the British infantry.—ns. En′sign-bear′er; En′signcy, En′signship, the rank or commission of an ensign in the army. [O. Fr. enseigne—L. insignia, pl. of insigne, a distinctive mark—in, and signum, a mark.]

Dictionary of Nautical TermsRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. ensign

   [From the Anglo-Saxon segn.] A large flag or banner, hoisted on a long pole erected over the stern, and called the ensign-staff. It is used to distinguish the ships of different nations from each other, as also to characterize the different squadrons of the navy; it was formerly written ancient. Ensign is in the army the title of the junior rank of subaltern officers of infantry; from amongst them are detailed the officers who carry the colours.

Suggested ResourcesRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. ensign

   Song lyrics by ensign -- Explore a large variety of song lyrics performed by ensign on the Lyrics.com website.

Surnames Frequency by Census RecordsRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. ENSIGN

   According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Ensign is ranked #12153 in terms of the most common surnames in America.
   
   The Ensign surname appeared 2,564 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 would have the surname Ensign.
   
   93.7% or 2,403 total occurrences were White.
   3.3% or 85 total occurrences were of Hispanic origin.
   1.5% or 40 total occurrences were of two or more races.
   0.6% or 17 total occurrences were Asian.
   0.5% or 13 total occurrences were American Indian or Alaskan Native.
   0.2% or 6 total occurrences were Black.

Matched Categories

1. • Colors
   • Commissioned Naval Officer
   • Emblem
   • Flag
   • Military

How to pronounce ensign?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say ensign in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of ensign in Chaldean Numerology is: 4

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of ensign in Pythagorean Numerology is: 5

Examples of ensign in a Sentence

1. Paul Ludlow:

   As a British company flying the Red Ensign it is not advisable for us to maintain our planned Dubai and Arabian Gulf program this winter season, we have therefore taken the unusual step of withdrawing Oceana from the region for the upcoming season.

2. Ben Evans:

   With our paint schemes, we stand out -- we look different. We'll be flying the White Ensign together in the Indo-Pacific region. People will know that British Royal Navy is back.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

References

1. ^ Princeton's WordNet
   http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=ensign
2. ^ Wiktionary
   https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Ensign
3. ^ Samuel Johnson's Dictionary
   https://johnsonsdictionaryonline.com/views/search.php?term=ensign
4. ^ Wikipedia
   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ensign
5. ^ ChatGPT
   https://chat.openai.com
6. ^ Webster Dictionary
   https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ensign
7. ^ Wikidata
   https://www.wikidata.org/w/index.php?search=ensign
8. ^ Chambers 20th Century Dictionary
   https://www.gutenberg.org/files/37683/37683-h/37683-h.htm#:~:text=ensign
9. ^ Dictionary of Nautical Terms
   https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/26000/pg26000-images.html#:~:text=ensign
10. ^ Surnames Frequency by Census Records
    https://www.census.gov/topics/population/genealogy/data/2010_surnames.html