ensign

/ˈɛnsən/

Other forms: ensigns

Use the noun ensign when you talk about a Navy officer. An ensign's rank is just below lieutenant and above a non commissioned petty officer or midshipman.

The lowest ranking commissioned officer in the US Navy is an ensign, and it's a similar position in the British infantry as well. You can also use the word to describe a country's flag or another symbol that represents a particular nation. For example, you might say that a ship displays the Norwegian ensign when it flies the flag of Norway. Ensign is a Scottish word that comes from the Old French enseigne, "mark, symbol, flag, or pennant."

Definitions of ensign

1. noun

   a person who holds a commissioned rank in the United States Navy or the United States Coast Guard; below lieutenant junior grade
   type of:

   commissioned naval officer

   a commissioned officer in the navy
2. noun

   an emblem flown as a symbol of nationality
   synonyms: national flag

   type of:

   flag

   emblem usually consisting of a rectangular piece of cloth of distinctive design

   allegory, emblem

   a visible symbol representing an abstract idea
3. noun

   colors flown by a ship to show its nationality
   type of:

   colors, colours

   a flag that shows its nationality