The Collaborative International Dictionary
Broad \Broad\ (br[add]d), a. [Compar. Broader (br[add]d"[~e]r); superl. Broadest.] [OE. brod, brad, AS. br[=a]d; akin to OS. br[=e]d, D. breed, G. breit, Icel. brei[eth]r, Sw. & Dan. bred, Goth. braids. Cf. Breadth.]
Wide; extend in breadth, or from side to side; -- opposed to narrow; as, a broad street, a broad table; an inch broad.
Extending far and wide; extensive; vast; as, the broad expanse of ocean.
Extended, in the sense of diffused; open; clear; full. ``Broad and open day.''
--Bp. Porteus.-
Fig.: Having a large measure of any thing or quality; not limited; not restrained; -- applied to any subject, and retaining the literal idea more or less clearly, the precise meaning depending largely on the substantive.
A broad mixture of falsehood.
--Locke.Note: Hence:
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Comprehensive; liberal; enlarged.
The words in the Constitution are broad enough to include the case.
--D. Daggett.In a broad, statesmanlike, and masterly way.
--E. Everett. Plain; evident; as, a broad hint.
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Free; unrestrained; unconfined.
As broad and general as the casing air.
--Shak. (Fine Arts) Characterized by breadth. See Breadth.
Cross; coarse; indelicate; as, a broad compliment; a broad joke; broad humor.
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Strongly marked; as, a broad Scotch accent.
Note: Broad is often used in compounds to signify wide, large, etc.; as, broad-chested, broad-shouldered, broad-spreading, broad-winged.
Broad acres. See under Acre.
Broad arrow, originally a pheon. See Pheon, and Broad arrow under Arrow.
As broad as long, having the length equal to the breadth; hence, the same one way as another; coming to the same result by different ways or processes.
It is as broad as long, whether they rise to others, or bring others down to them.
--L'Estrange.Broad pennant. See under Pennant.
Syn: Wide; large; ample; expanded; spacious; roomy; extensive; vast; comprehensive; liberal.
Wikipedia
A broad pennant is a triangular swallow-tailed naval pennant flown from the masthead of a warship afloat or a naval headquarters ashore to indicate the presence of a Royal Navy officer in the rank of Commodore or a U.S. Navy Captain serving in a designated Commodore command billet. It is so called as a broad pennant because its dimensions are roughly 2:3.
The U.S. Navy will also refer to this flag as a Commodore's "command pennant." In the U.S. Navy, the pennant will contain either numbers or letters indicating the command designation or name. For example, the pennant for the Commodore commanding Destroyer Squadron 25 (DESRON 25) will have the numeral "25" on the field of his or her command pennant. Likewise, the Commodore commanding Strike Fighter Wing Atlantic will have the letters "SFWL" or "CSFWL" on his or her pennant. This pennant is also used by the commander of a carrier air wing. A Burgee command pennant has been flown by commanders of smaller aircraft units such as groups or squadrons.
Starting in 1826 a Royal Navy commodore would fly one of two broad pennants depending on whether he had a captain for his ship (First Class Commodore), or also had to command it himself (Second Class). This difference was shown by a ball added to the pennant of the Second Class rank holder, as shown above. In 1958 the rank of First Class Commodore was terminated, after which only the broad pennant with a ball was used.
Usage examples of "broad pennant".
A man-of-war, double-decked, eighty guns, wearing Turkish colours and a commodore's broad pennant: she was closely followed by two frigates, one of thirty-eight or forty guns, the other light, perhaps a twenty-eight.
Even though I am without powerful friends in the service, yet my record is such that I would never expect half pay appointment, and although it might sound immodest I would confidently look forward to hoisting my own broad pennant before I am fifty years of age.
A few moments later the midshipman's shrill, somewhat breathless voice began to pipe away, at first hesitantly, and then, as the distance lessened, more surely, calling down the frigate's signals, while Callaghan, having said, 'Reading from last Tuesday's plan, sir,' translated them: 'A first rate, wearing a rear-admiral's flag: a line-of-battle ship with sixteen ports, bearing a broad pennant: a line-of-battle ship: doubtful - probably a seventy-four: a frigate, yards and top-masts struck: a hulk: another: a corvette: a brig without topmasts: two frigates ready for sea, everything aloft.
Laurence could even count them through the glass: two sixty-fours, a seventy-four with a broad pennant, a couple of smaller frigates as escort, all of them standing only a little way off the shore.
A vice-admiral's flag, a rear-admiral's, a commodore's broad pennant: no change.
He would have a broad pennant flying at the mainmast-head, compliments and honours - not that they mattered, but they would be outward signs of the trust reposed in him, of the promotion that was his.
He would have a broad pennant flying at the mainmast-head, compliments and honours —.
He would have a broad pennant flying at the mainmast-head, compliments and honours not that they mattered, but they would be outward signs of the trust reposed in him, of the promotion that was his.
A Commodore, carrying a broad pennant, or a Brigadier General, shall be exchanged for officers of equal rank, or twenty privates or common seamen.