"show the flag" meaning in English

See show the flag in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Verb

Audio: En-au-show the flag.ogg [Australia] Forms: shows the flag [present, singular, third-person], showing the flag [participle, present], showed the flag [past], shown the flag [participle, past], showed the flag [US, also, participle, past]
Head templates: {{en-verb|show<,,,shown:􂀿US also􂁀> the flag}} show the flag (third-person singular simple present shows the flag, present participle showing the flag, simple past showed the flag, past participle shown the flag or (US also) showed the flag)
  1. (literally) To display the flag of one's country, especially as an expression of patriotic pride. Tags: literally Related terms: gunboat diplomacy
    Sense id: en-show_the_flag-en-verb-~fejkti1
  2. (idiomatic) Of a naval vessel or military force, to identify itself by displaying the flag of its country of origin, especially in order to establish an authoritative presence and to exert diplomatic or political influence. Tags: idiomatic
    Sense id: en-show_the_flag-en-verb-nYQ0n0OI
  3. (idiomatic, by extension) To represent one's country or some other group in a manner intended to suggest the authority or importance of that country or group. Tags: broadly, idiomatic
    Sense id: en-show_the_flag-en-verb-KRKvHohe

Download JSON data for show the flag meaning in English (4.5kB)

{
  "descendants": [
    {
      "depth": 1,
      "templates": [
        {
          "args": {
            "1": "de",
            "2": "Flagge zeigen",
            "cal": "1"
          },
          "expansion": "→ German: Flagge zeigen (calque)",
          "name": "desc"
        }
      ],
      "text": "→ German: Flagge zeigen (calque)"
    }
  ],
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "shows the flag",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "showing the flag",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "showed the flag",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "shown the flag",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "showed the flag",
      "tags": [
        "US",
        "also",
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "show<,,,shown:􂀿US also􂁀> the flag"
      },
      "expansion": "show the flag (third-person singular simple present shows the flag, present participle showing the flag, simple past showed the flag, past participle shown the flag or (US also) showed the flag)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "glosses": [
        "To display the flag of one's country, especially as an expression of patriotic pride."
      ],
      "id": "en-show_the_flag-en-verb-~fejkti1",
      "links": [
        [
          "country",
          "country"
        ],
        [
          "expression",
          "expression"
        ],
        [
          "patriotic",
          "patriotic"
        ],
        [
          "pride",
          "pride"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(literally) To display the flag of one's country, especially as an expression of patriotic pride."
      ],
      "related": [
        {
          "_dis1": "60 40 0",
          "word": "gunboat diplomacy"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "literally"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1896, John Barrett, “America's Interest in Eastern Asia”, in North American Review, volume 162, number 472, pages 263–264",
          "text": "A few suggestions are given . . . maintaining an effective naval squadron to show the flag and protect American interests.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "29 Sep 1947, “Martin Lo”, in Time",
          "text": "On a routine cruise to \"show the flag,\" the British warships Amphion and Contest steamed into the harbor of Santa Ana Island in the southern Solomons (which are under a British protectorate).",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2008, BioWare, Mass Effect, Redwood City: Electronic Arts, →OCLC, PC, scene: Starships: Cruisers Codex entry",
          "text": "Cruisers perform routine independent \"show the flag\" patrols in settled systems and lead flotillas of frigates in small engagements, such as pirate suppression campaigns.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Of a naval vessel or military force, to identify itself by displaying the flag of its country of origin, especially in order to establish an authoritative presence and to exert diplomatic or political influence."
      ],
      "id": "en-show_the_flag-en-verb-nYQ0n0OI",
      "links": [
        [
          "naval",
          "naval"
        ],
        [
          "vessel",
          "vessel"
        ],
        [
          "military",
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        ],
        [
          "force",
          "force"
        ],
        [
          "identify",
          "identify"
        ],
        [
          "country of origin",
          "country of origin"
        ],
        [
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        ],
        [
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        ],
        [
          "diplomatic",
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        ],
        [
          "political",
          "political"
        ],
        [
          "influence",
          "influence"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic) Of a naval vessel or military force, to identify itself by displaying the flag of its country of origin, especially in order to establish an authoritative presence and to exert diplomatic or political influence."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "28 Jan 1980, “‘Who Lost Afghanistan?’”, in Time",
          "text": "Henry Kissinger stopped off in Kabul to show the flag for a few hours in 1974.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "19 Jan 2004, “Bush operatives moving to primary states”, in CNN, retrieved 2009-01-04",
          "text": "The Bush–Cheney re-election campaign will send a high-profile team of surrogates to both Iowa and New Hampshire in the coming days to train and motivate Republican activists and to \"show the flag\" in states in which the Democratic presidential race has dominated political debate.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To represent one's country or some other group in a manner intended to suggest the authority or importance of that country or group."
      ],
      "id": "en-show_the_flag-en-verb-KRKvHohe",
      "links": [
        [
          "represent",
          "represent"
        ],
        [
          "importance",
          "importance"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic, by extension) To represent one's country or some other group in a manner intended to suggest the authority or importance of that country or group."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "broadly",
        "idiomatic"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "En-au-show the flag.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/1/1a/En-au-show_the_flag.ogg/En-au-show_the_flag.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1a/En-au-show_the_flag.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Australia"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (AU)"
    }
  ],
  "word": "show the flag"
}
{
  "descendants": [
    {
      "depth": 1,
      "templates": [
        {
          "args": {
            "1": "de",
            "2": "Flagge zeigen",
            "cal": "1"
          },
          "expansion": "→ German: Flagge zeigen (calque)",
          "name": "desc"
        }
      ],
      "text": "→ German: Flagge zeigen (calque)"
    }
  ],
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "shows the flag",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "showing the flag",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "showed the flag",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "shown the flag",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "showed the flag",
      "tags": [
        "US",
        "also",
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "show<,,,shown:􂀿US also􂁀> the flag"
      },
      "expansion": "show the flag (third-person singular simple present shows the flag, present participle showing the flag, simple past showed the flag, past participle shown the flag or (US also) showed the flag)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "gunboat diplomacy"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "glosses": [
        "To display the flag of one's country, especially as an expression of patriotic pride."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "country",
          "country"
        ],
        [
          "expression",
          "expression"
        ],
        [
          "patriotic",
          "patriotic"
        ],
        [
          "pride",
          "pride"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(literally) To display the flag of one's country, especially as an expression of patriotic pride."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "literally"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English idioms",
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1896, John Barrett, “America's Interest in Eastern Asia”, in North American Review, volume 162, number 472, pages 263–264",
          "text": "A few suggestions are given . . . maintaining an effective naval squadron to show the flag and protect American interests.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "29 Sep 1947, “Martin Lo”, in Time",
          "text": "On a routine cruise to \"show the flag,\" the British warships Amphion and Contest steamed into the harbor of Santa Ana Island in the southern Solomons (which are under a British protectorate).",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2008, BioWare, Mass Effect, Redwood City: Electronic Arts, →OCLC, PC, scene: Starships: Cruisers Codex entry",
          "text": "Cruisers perform routine independent \"show the flag\" patrols in settled systems and lead flotillas of frigates in small engagements, such as pirate suppression campaigns.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Of a naval vessel or military force, to identify itself by displaying the flag of its country of origin, especially in order to establish an authoritative presence and to exert diplomatic or political influence."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "naval",
          "naval"
        ],
        [
          "vessel",
          "vessel"
        ],
        [
          "military",
          "military"
        ],
        [
          "force",
          "force"
        ],
        [
          "identify",
          "identify"
        ],
        [
          "country of origin",
          "country of origin"
        ],
        [
          "authoritative",
          "authoritative"
        ],
        [
          "presence",
          "presence"
        ],
        [
          "diplomatic",
          "diplomatic"
        ],
        [
          "political",
          "political"
        ],
        [
          "influence",
          "influence"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic) Of a naval vessel or military force, to identify itself by displaying the flag of its country of origin, especially in order to establish an authoritative presence and to exert diplomatic or political influence."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English idioms",
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "28 Jan 1980, “‘Who Lost Afghanistan?’”, in Time",
          "text": "Henry Kissinger stopped off in Kabul to show the flag for a few hours in 1974.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "19 Jan 2004, “Bush operatives moving to primary states”, in CNN, retrieved 2009-01-04",
          "text": "The Bush–Cheney re-election campaign will send a high-profile team of surrogates to both Iowa and New Hampshire in the coming days to train and motivate Republican activists and to \"show the flag\" in states in which the Democratic presidential race has dominated political debate.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To represent one's country or some other group in a manner intended to suggest the authority or importance of that country or group."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "represent",
          "represent"
        ],
        [
          "importance",
          "importance"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic, by extension) To represent one's country or some other group in a manner intended to suggest the authority or importance of that country or group."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "broadly",
        "idiomatic"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "En-au-show the flag.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/1/1a/En-au-show_the_flag.ogg/En-au-show_the_flag.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1a/En-au-show_the_flag.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Australia"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (AU)"
    }
  ],
  "word": "show the flag"
}

This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-03-12 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-03-01 using wiktextract (68773ab and 5f6ddbb). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.