blue flag


noun

any North American plant of the genus Iris, especially I. versicolor: the state flower of Tennessee.

Origin of blue flag

An Americanism dating back to 1775–85

Example sentences from the Web for blue flag

  • Here are calamus patches, and alder thickets, and sedges without number; and the prickly carex and blue-flag abound on every side.

    Pastoral Days |William Hamilton Gibson

British Dictionary definitions for blue flag

Blue Flag

noun

an award given to a seaside resort that meets EU standards of cleanliness of beaches and purity of water in bathing areas