distinguishing flag

noun

1

: any of certain flags flown to indicate the presence of an officer of high rank or of the holder of a high governmental office

—used in the British navy and the U.S. Army compare personal flag

2

: a flag flown to identify the headquarters of a major unit of the U.S. Army that does not have an organizational color or standard

3

: a flag indicative of the ownership of a vessel (as the house flag of a commercial ship or the private signal of a yacht)

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