quarantine flag

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.
Also called yellow flag.

Origin of quarantine flag

First recorded in 1870–75

Words nearby quarantine flag

quapaw, quaquaversal, quar., quarantine, quarantine anchorage, quarantine flag, quare, quark, quark model, quark star, quarkonium

Example sentences from the Web for quarantine flag

  • Sick-room and sick-bed are also in common use, and sick-flag is used in place of the American quarantine-flag.

    The American Language |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.

    The Lieutenant and Commander |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 aboard Also called: yellow flag, yellow jack