Union Jack
4
2.8
- noun
- /ˈjuːniən dʒæk/
:
Union Jack
- The Union Jack symbolizes the unity of England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.
- Union Jack flag
He said, But everybody in America knows the Union Jack, right?
- He said, But everybody in America knows the Union Jack, right?
- Like look at him, white van man, Union Jack hanging up in the window.
- NE with S, the Union Jack is a is a flag of the same plan.
- You've seen the Union Jack and the Hong Kong colonial flag staging A revival at at at at at protests and rallies.
- But they had like the Union Jack roll down and they started playing Takata and Feud by Bach, like the organ thing, like the Dracula music.
Examples
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Early on May 14, 1948, the Union Jack was hauled down for the last time in Jerusalem.
Academic text (2002) -
On the back of the bike—a Union Jack, blowing in the wind.
Fiction book (1991) -
Thank God for the Union Jack, eh?
-
Austin plants a Union Jack on the moon.
Fiction book (1999) -
The fifth stage of my journey has begun under the shadow of the Union Jack.
Blog text (22) -
The British Union Jack features the crosses of St George, St Andrew, and St Patrick.
Blog text (25) -
There's a small Union Jack sticking out of the machine.
Fiction book (1991) -
I've walked in with the Union Jack over my shoulders.
-
In the background, London's skyline and the Union Jack establish that 007 is protecting home.
Blog text (7) -
A very solid-looking citizen, at first impression a typical John Bull, waved the Union Jack, the symbol of only one place.
Academic text (1991)
Synonyms
1
3.1
The national flag of the United Kingdom, also called the Union Jack
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound is directly compositional: 'union' (a joining/union of entities) combined with 'jack' (a small flag) yields a flag representing a union. Although 'Union Jack' is a conventional proper name for the UK flag, its basic meaning as the flag of a union is predictable from the constituents, so a learner who knows both words would recognize it refers to a flag of a union (in this case the UK).
Etymology
The name Union Jack comes from joining three old crosses: the red cross of St George for England, the diagonal white cross of St Andrew for Scotland, and the diagonal red cross of St Patrick for Ireland. At first the word 'jack' meant a small flag flown on ships, so the joined flag was called the Union Jack, and that's why the name now means the national flag of the United Kingdom.