Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun Milit., a small flag carried with the baggage of a brigade.
  • noun A small flag for a surveying-station.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun (Mil.), obsolete A small flag sometimes carried at the head of the baggage of a brigade.
  • noun A small flag for marking the stations in surveying.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A small flag used for marking positions, especially by soldiers and surveyors.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a small flag used by surveyors or soldiers to mark a position

Etymologies

Sorry, no etymologies found.

Support

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word fanion.

Examples

  • The eclectic choice of words used in the three-round final - including 'oribi' and 'zoeal', which are explained below, as well as 'bumbazed' and 'fanion' - shows how technical a high-level game can be.

    Home | Mail Online 2009

  • The idea is that the sacred object was the lance itself, decorated with a silk fanion, but later the meaning of the lance was lost and the silk fanion itself came to be seen as the important object.

    Archive 2007-07-15 de Brantigny........................ 2007

  • The idea is that the sacred object was the lance itself, decorated with a silk fanion, but later the meaning of the lance was lost and the silk fanion itself came to be seen as the important object.

    l'Oriflamme de Brantigny........................ 2007

  • They're not words you hear every day - but to Scrabble champions, spelling out 'bumbazed' (which means bemused or befuddled) or 'fanion' (a small flag) is the equivalent of landing a right hook.

    Home | Mail Online 2009

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.

  • 1. small flag used in surveying.

    2. cloth worn on a priest's arm, used for handling holy vessels

    October 21, 2007

  • Is it a synonym of pennant?

    December 10, 2017

  • Surveyors come always in twos.

    The head man is careful to choose

    A jolly companion

    To plant the last fanion

    Then off to the pub and the booze.

    November 2, 2018