What is "ensign"

ensign \en"sign\ ([e^]n"s[i^]n also [e^]n"s[imac]n, except for 4a), n. [L. enseigne, L. insignia, pl. of insigne a distinctive mark, badge, flag; in + signum mark, sign. See Sign, and cf. Insignia, 3d Ancient.]

1. A flag; a banner; a standard; esp., the national flag, or a banner indicating nationality, carried by a ship or a body of soldiers; -- as distinguished from flags indicating divisions of the army, rank of naval officers, or private signals, and the like.

   Hang up your ensigns, let your drums be still.
   --Shak.

2. A signal displayed like a standard, to give notice.

   He will lift an ensign to the nations from far.
   --Is. v. 26.

3. Sign; badge of office, rank, or power; symbol.

   The ensigns of our power about we bear.
   --Waller.

4. 1. Formerly, a commissioned officer of the army who carried the ensign or flag of a company or regiment.

   2. A commissioned officer of the lowest grade in the navy, corresponding to the grade of second lieutenant in the army.
      --Ham. Nav. Encyc.

      Note: In the British army the rank of ensign was abolished in 1871. In the United States army the rank is not recognized; the regimental flags being carried by a sergeant called the color sergeant.

      Ensign bearer, one who carries a flag; an ensign.

early 15c., "a token, sign, symbol; badge of office, mark or insignia of authority or rank;" also "battle flag, flag or banner of a ship or troop of soldiers," via Scottish, from Old French enseigne (12c.) "mark, symbol, signal; flag, standard, pennant," from Latin insignia (plural); see insignia, which is a doublet of this word. As the word for the soldier who carries the flag, 1510s. U.S. Navy sense of "commissioned officer of the lowest rank" is from 1862. French navy had rank of enseigne de vaisseau since at least early 18c. Until 1871 one of the lowest grades of commissioned officers in a British army infantry regiment, also a rank in the American Revolutionary army.

n. 1 A badge of office, rank, or power. 2 The lowest grade of commissioned officer in the United States Navy, junior to a lieutenant junior grade. vb. 1 (context obsolete English) To designate as by an ensign. 2 To distinguish by a mark or ornament 3 (context heraldry English) To distinguish by an ornament, especially by a crown.

1. n. a person who holds a commissioned rank in the United States Navy or the United States Coast Guard; below lieutenant junior grade

2. an emblem flown as a symbol of nationality [syn: national flag]

3. colors flown by a ship to show its nationality

An ensign is, in its widest sense, a flag or other standard. In particular, ensign has commonly been used to mean the flag or other standard of a ship or military unit.

Today, the term is most commonly used in reference to ships, on which the ensign is the largest flag, generally flown at the stern (rear) of the ship. Naval ensigns today do indicate the ship's (nominal) nationality, but may be a specifically naval ensign rather than the normal national flag.

The European military rank of ensign, once responsible for bearing a unit's standard (whether national or regimental) derives from it (in the cavalry the equivalent rank was cornet, named after a type of flag). In contrast, the Arab rank of ensign, liwa, derives from the command of a unit or units with an ensign, not the carrier of such a unit's ensign, and is a general officer.

Large versions of naval ensigns called battle ensigns are used when a warship goes into battle.

An ensign is a distinguishing token, emblem, badge, or flag such as a symbol of office. Ensign (rank) is also a junior rank of commissioned officer in some armies and navies.

Ensign or The Ensign may also refer to:

Ensign is a hardcore punk band from New Jersey, USA. It was formed in 1995 and signed to Indecision Records in 1996. They signed to the larger label "next door", Dexter Holland's Nitro Records in 1998 and finally came to rest at Blackout Records in 2003 after a brief sortie back to Indecision in 2000.

Ensign is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:

• John Ensign (born 1958), American politician
• Michael Ensign (born 1944), American actor
• Robert Ensign III, American writer
• Sean Ensign (born 1972), American singer-songwriter
• Tod Ensign, American lawyer
• William L. Ensign, American architect

The Ensign of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, commonly shortened to Ensign , is an official periodical of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). The magazine was first issued in January 1971 along with the correlated New Era (for youth) and the Friend (for children), all of which replaced the older church publications Improvement Era, Relief Society Magazine, The Instructor, and the Millennial Star. Unlike some of its predecessors, the Ensign contains no advertisements.

As an official church publication, the Ensign contains faith-promoting and proselytizing information, stories, sermons, and writings of church leaders.

The May and November editions of the Ensign provide reports of the proceedings of the church's annual and semi-annual general conferences. These issues contain the full sermons and business of the conferences, as well as a current photographic list general authorities and general officers of the church.

The text of every issue of the magazine is available on the church's web site. Each issue since January 2001 is also available in PDF format.

Ensign late 14c., via Scottish, from Old French enseigne (12c.) "mark, symbol, signal; flag, standard, pennant", from Latin insignia (plural) is a junior rank of a commissioned officer in the armed forces of some countries, normally in the infantry or navy. As the junior officer in an infantry regiment was traditionally the carrier of the ensign flag, the rank itself acquired the name. This rank has generally been replaced in army ranks by second lieutenant. Ensigns were generally the lowest ranking commissioned officer, except where the rank of subaltern itself existed. In contrast, the Arab rank of ensign, لواء, liwa', derives from the command of units with an ensign, not the carrier of such a unit's ensign, and is today the equivalent of a major general.

In Thomas Venn's 1672 Military and Maritime Discipline in Three Books, the duties of ensigns are to include not only carrying the colour but assisting the captain and lieutenant of a company and in their absence, have their authority.

"Ensign" is enseigne in French, and chorąży in Polish, each of which derives from a term for a flag. The Spanish alférez and Portuguese alferes is a junior officer rank below lieutenant associated with carrying the flag, and so is often translated as "ensign". Unlike the rank in other languages, its etymology has nothing to do with flags, but instead comes from the Arabic for "cavalier" or "knight". Fähnrich in German comes from an older German military title, Fahnenträger (flag bearer); however, it is an officer cadet rank, not a junior officer - the same applies to the Dutch Vaandrig, which has a parallel etymology. In the German Landsknecht armies (c. 1480), the equivalent rank of a Cornet existed for those men who carried the troop standard (known as a "cornet"). It is still used in the artillery and cavalry divisions of the Netherlands (Kornet).

The NATO rank code is OF-1 (junior).

Ensign's self-titled 7" EP was their first release on Orange County, California record label, Indecision Records. It was released in May, 1996 on 7" vinyl only. The production run was limited to 3336 on black vinyl, 330 on grey, 449 on blue and a further 100 on black vinyl with a different cover to coincide with a European tour. This was in line with Indecision Records tradition of putting out releases by new bands on colored and normal vinyl and was carried through to their next release, the Fall from Grace (EP). It was later re-released on CD as part of a retrospective compilation, Three Years Two Months Eleven Days, in April 2000 after the band had left to join Nitro Records in 1998.