flagged
flagged — verb
1. to put a special mark, symbol, or note on something so that other people will se
to put a special mark, symbol, or note on something so that other people will see it later and pay extra attention to it
Esteban flagged the email from his landlord so he would remember to reply that evening.
flag + noun (digital item) for later attention
Yael's bank account was flagged as suspicious after three late-night transfers to a foreign address.
passive: be flagged as + adjective
Please flag any chapter you find confusing, and Stephanie will discuss it at the next book-club meeting.
The spell-checker flagged six words in Talia's essay that did not appear in its dictionary.
Lukas flagged two safety problems in the report and asked the supervisor to read them first.
文法句型
flag + noun
flag + noun + as + adjective
be flagged as + adjective
用法筆記
Frequently passive. Object is usually an item in a list, document, account, or message — never a person directly. Distinct from sense 2 (signal): sense 1 leaves a mark for later; sense 2 communicates in real time.
常見錯誤
2. to wave or hold up something — often a piece of fabric or your arm — to tell a v
to wave or hold up something — often a piece of fabric or your arm — to tell a vehicle to stop or to send a message across a distance
Standing at the edge of the road in heavy rain, Kemi tried to flag a passing taxi.
flag + vehicle (often + down)
The race official flagged the leading car as it crossed the finish line for the third time.
official signalling across distance
Takeshi waved his red shirt above his head, trying to flag the search helicopter circling the valley.
A worker stood at the building site and flagged each delivery truck into the correct loading bay.
文法句型
flag + noun
flag + noun + down
用法筆記
Often appears as the phrasal verb 'flag down' when stopping a vehicle. Subject is usually a person on foot or stationary; object is a moving vehicle, aircraft, or sometimes a distant person.
3. in American football and some other sports, when an official throws a small yell
in American football and some other sports, when an official throws a small yellow cloth onto the field to show that a player or team has broken a rule and must lose ground or points
Walid was flagged for holding during the second quarter, costing the Eagles ten yards.
be flagged for + offence noun
The referee flagged the defensive tackle for a late hit on the quarterback.
official subject + player object
Chicago was flagged three times in the opening drive, handing Green Bay an easy touchdown.
If Tyler keeps grabbing jerseys after the whistle, he will get flagged every single play.
文法句型
flag + player/team
be flagged for + noun
用法筆記
Almost always passive ('was flagged for…'). Strongly tied to American football and similar field sports; readers outside that culture may need the context spelled out.
4. if your energy, spirits, attention, or a conversation flags, it becomes weaker,
if your energy, spirits, attention, or a conversation flags, it becomes weaker, slower, or less interesting after being strong before — for example, runners flag in the final mile, or interest in a TV show flags after season three
Christopher's energy began to flag around the twentieth kilometre of the marathon.
physical energy as subject
Viewer interest in Romi's documentary series flagged sharply after the third episode aired.
abstract subject (interest) + adverb (sharply)
Conversation around the dinner table began to flag once the host left to fetch dessert.
By the third hour of Professor Wei's lecture on tax law, even the best students' attention had flagged.
Reuben's spirits flagged when the rain returned just as the picnic was being set out.
文法句型
[subject = energy/spirits/attention/conversation] + flag
用法筆記
Intransitive only. Subject is almost always an abstract noun (energy, spirits, interest, attention, enthusiasm, conversation, sales) rather than a person or physical object. Common in writing about sport, business, and entertainment.
常見錯誤
5. to cover a path, courtyard, or floor with flagstones — flat slabs of stone laid
to cover a path, courtyard, or floor with flagstones — flat slabs of stone laid side by side to make a hard, even surface to walk on
The narrow lane behind the church was flagged with smooth grey slate from the local quarry.
be flagged with + stone type
Workers had spent the whole summer flagging the courtyard around the new library.
progressive tense + object (open area)
Walid asked the builder to flag the garden path rather than pour concrete.
Inside the old farmhouse, the kitchen floor was flagged with thick blocks of sandstone.
文法句型
flag + noun (surface)
be flagged with + noun
用法筆記
Rare in everyday speech; mostly in writing about architecture, gardens, or older buildings. Often passive, with 'with + stone material' giving the surface detail.
flagged — noun
1. a coloured piece of cloth, normally fixed to a pole or rope, whose design stands
a coloured piece of cloth, normally fixed to a pole or rope, whose design stands for a country, organisation, or shared idea
At dawn, the flag of the Republic was raised slowly above the school playground.
the flag of + country
Crowds along the parade route waved small paper flags as the athletes marched past.
wave + flag (handheld)
Out of respect for the lost firefighters, every flag in the town was lowered to half-mast.
A bright red flag with a gold star fluttered above the old fortress on the hill.
Nora's grandfather had folded the army flag carefully and stored it inside a cedar box.
文法句型
the flag of + country/organization
raise/lower/wave + flag
用法筆記
Most common everyday meaning. Often appears with verbs of vertical movement (raise, lower, hoist) and motion (wave, fly, flutter). When the flag stands for a country, English usually says 'the flag of [Country]' or '[Country]'s flag'.
2. a coloured piece of cloth used to send a specific message at a sports event, on
a coloured piece of cloth used to send a specific message at a sports event, on a beach, at sea, or on a building site — for example, a red flag warning swimmers to stay out of the water
A bright yellow flag warned visitors that strong currents were running off the eastern beach that morning.
[colour] flag + warning content
The marshal waved the chequered flag as the leading car crossed the finish line.
chequered flag — racing convention
Workers at the construction site posted a red flag whenever blasting was scheduled for the afternoon.
Climbers carry a small orange flag in their pack so a rescue helicopter can spot them from far above.
文法句型
[colour] flag
the [event] flag
用法筆記
Distinguished from sense 1 by purpose: a signal flag carries an instant message (warning, start, stop) rather than identifying a country or group. The colour or pattern carries the meaning, so the colour word almost always precedes 'flag'.
3. any of several wetland plants with long, narrow, sword-shaped leaves and tall st
any of several wetland plants with long, narrow, sword-shaped leaves and tall stems carrying bright flowers — most commonly the yellow flag iris that grows beside ponds and slow streams
Yellow flags lined the shallow edge of the pond at the bottom of Hassan's garden.
[colour] flags lining water edge
By late May, the marsh was a sea of purple and yellow flags rising above the reeds.
habitat description (marsh)
The river warden warned that the wild flags along the stream were protected and could not be picked.
Noor planted a row of blue flags beside the new garden pond last autumn.
- iris
the more familiar everyday name for the same plant family
- sweet flag
a specific marsh plant with sweetly scented roots — Acorus calamus
文法句型
[colour] flag
flag iris
用法筆記
Mostly found in nature writing, gardening guides, and place names like 'Flag Pond' or 'Flag Fen'. Almost never used in everyday conversation about plants — gardeners are more likely to say 'iris'.
4. a flat, square or rectangular piece of hard stone, laid alongside other pieces t
a flat, square or rectangular piece of hard stone, laid alongside other pieces to make a smooth surface for a path, terrace, or kitchen floor — also called a flagstone
The old York flags in the courtyard had been worn smooth by three centuries of footsteps.
named stone + age + wear
Daniel pulled up the loose flag at the back door and laid a new one in fresh mortar.
single flag + repair action
Heavy rain pooled in the dips between the kitchen flags every winter.
A row of cracked grey flags led from the garden gate to the front door of the cottage.
- flagstone
the fuller word — the most common everyday term
- paving slab
modern concrete equivalent; usually rectangular
- slab
more general — any flat piece of stone or concrete
文法句型
stone flag
old flags
用法筆記
More common in British English than American. Often interchangeable with 'flagstone'. Typically appears in writing about old houses, gardens, and traditional building work.
5. the long, bushy tail of certain dogs, such as setters and spaniels, or the white
the long, bushy tail of certain dogs, such as setters and spaniels, or the white underside of a deer's tail, which is shown clearly when the animal is alarmed or moving
The setter's chestnut flag swept the long grass behind her as she bounded across the field.
setter's flag (dog) + motion
Shirin spotted the white flag of a deer disappearing into the trees at the edge of the clearing.
white flag of a deer (alarm signal)
A good spaniel works close to its handler and shows a steady, low flag instead of a high-held tail.
The English Setter judge looked for a long, well-feathered flag carried level with the back.
- tail
the everyday word — used by everyone outside the specialist contexts above
文法句型
the flag of + animal
用法筆記
Specialist vocabulary used by hunters, dog trainers, and naturalists rather than everyday speakers. For a pet owner, 'tail' is the natural word.
6. in written music, the small curved hook attached to the stem of a note that tell
in written music, the small curved hook attached to the stem of a note that tells the player it lasts less time than one beat — one hook for an eighth note, two for a sixteenth, and so on
Two flags on the stem told Hiro that each note should be played as a sixteenth.
[count] flag(s) on a stem
Ritu showed her piano student how four flags in a row are normally joined into a single beam.
flags vs beams convention
Add one flag to the stem of each crotchet, and the line will sound twice as fast.
The teacher circled the missing flag on Sofia's homework and reminded her to count beats.
文法句型
[number] flag(s)
add a flag to + note
用法筆記
Technical vocabulary from music notation. Outside music classes, music software documentation, and theory books, this sense rarely appears.
flagged — adjective
1. describes a floor, path, or open area whose surface is made from flat slabs of s
describes a floor, path, or open area whose surface is made from flat slabs of stone laid side by side
A long flagged path wound between the rose beds toward the back gate of the manor.
flagged + path (outdoor route)
Inside the old farmhouse, a flagged kitchen floor stayed cool even on the hottest summer afternoons.
flagged + interior floor + thermal property
Children's footsteps echoed off the flagged courtyard outside the cathedral.
Emily slipped on the wet flagged terrace and bruised her elbow.
- unpaved
having no hard surface — bare earth or gravel
文法句型
flagged + noun (floor/path/courtyard)
用法筆記
Only used before a noun (attributive). Almost always paired with words for surfaces a person can walk on: floor, path, courtyard, terrace, hallway. Common in writing about old or rural buildings.