Liberal Dictionary English Dictionary
quarantine flag ExamplesWord Origin noun Nautical.
- a yellow flag, designating the letter Q in the International Code of Signals: flown by itself to signify that a ship has no disease on board and requests a pratique, or flown with another flag to signify that there is disease on board ship.
Origin of quarantine flag First recorded in 1870–75 Also called yellow flag. Examples from the Web for quarantine flag Historical Examples of quarantine flag
Sick-room and sick-bed are also in common use, and sick-flag is used in place of the American quarantine-flag.
Henry L. Mencken
In that of the midshipmen he may probably find a youth with the quarantine-flag up; that is, in the sick-list.
Basil Hall
British Dictionary definitions for quarantine flag quarantine flag noun
- nautical the yellow signal flag for the letter Q, flown alone from a vessel to indicate that there is no disease aboard and to request pratique or, with a second signal flag, to indicate that there is disease aboardAlso called: yellow flag, yellow jack