Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun A long narrow banner or streamer borne upon a lance.
- noun A pennant, banner, or flag.
- noun A pinion; a wing.
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun A flag; an ensign; especially, in Europe in the middle ages, the flap; of the knight bachelor, or knight who had not yet reached the dignity of banneret. It is usually described as being pointed at the fly, but the swallow-tail flag is also described as a pennon.
- noun In heraldry, in modern ceremonial, as at funerals, a long and narrow flag, usually from four to five feet long, on which are depicted the owner's arms or a part of them, as the crest and motto.
- noun A pinion; a wing.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun A pennant; a flag or streamer.
- noun A wing; a pinion.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun A thin triangular
flag orstreamer , especially ashung from the end of alance orspear . - noun nautical A
pennant ; a long pointedstreamer or flag on a vessel.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun wing of a bird
- noun a long flag; often tapering
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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The soldiery of the Rhinegrave have mutinied, plucked down the banners of their master, and set up an independent ensign, which they call the pennon of St. Nicholas, under which they declare that they will maintain peace with God, and war with all the world.
Anne of Geierstein 2008
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The great standard, in the Maiden's wars, was to be used for the rallying of all her host; the pennon was a signal to those who fought around her, as guards of her body; and about the banner afterwards gathered, for prayer and praise, those men, confessed and clean of conscience, whom she had called and chosen.
A Monk of Fife Andrew Lang 1878
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The noble animal seemed to understand the purpose of their watch; for he looked from time to time at the rich folds of the heavy pennon, and, when the cry of the sentinels came from the distant lines and defences of the camp, he answered them with one deep and reiterated bark, as if to affirm that he too was vigilant in his duty.
The Talisman 2008
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But take my advice, and whilst thou travellest under an English pennon, take heed that thou keepest off this conversation in the hall and kitchen, where perhaps the soldier may be less tolerant than the officer; and now, in a word, what is thy legend of this Dangerous
Castle Dangerous 2008
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If it was thought necessary to show more clearly the nature of the conflict, it might be indicated by the pennon of Saint George being displayed at one end of the lists, and that of Saint Andrew at the Other.
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The central hut, which represented the pavilion of the leader, was distinguished by his swallow-tailed pennon, placed on the point of a spear, from which its long folds dropped motionless to the ground, as if sickening under the scorching rays of the Asiatic sun.
The Talisman 2008
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In the midst was a pennon displayed, which, though its bearings were not visible to Catharine, was, by a murmur around, acknowledged as that of the Black Douglas.
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In others it seemed more entire, and a pillar of dark smoke, which ascended from the chimneys of the donjon, and spread its long dusky pennon through the clear ether, indicated that it was inhabited.
The Monastery 2008
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A band of about thirty spearmen, with a pennon displayed before them, winded along the indented shores of the lake, and approached the causeway.
The Abbot 2008
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A magnificent pile of cushions at the head of the banquet seemed prepared for the master of the feast, and such dignitaries as he might call to share that place of distinction; while from the roof of the tent in all quarters, but over this seat of eminence in particular, waved many a banner and pennon, the trophies of battles won and kingdoms overthrown.
The Talisman 2008
tallpaul commented on the word pennon
Found in the poem 'Sea-Fret' by Robert Robertson from his collection Swithering
'...the frayed
pennons and bannerets
of the tide crests,
all this is visible now
in the haar-light'
December 6, 2006
jaime_d commented on the word pennon
From "A Field of Snow on a Slope of the Rosenberg" by Guy Davenport.
January 19, 2010
5814738 commented on the word pennon
"Later, the two of them had walked the high battlements above Mid-World's last living city--green and gorgeous Gilead in the morning sun, with its pennons flapping and the vendors in the streets of the Old Quarter and horses trotting on the bridle paths which radiated out from the palace standing at the heart of everything." From Wizard and Glass by Stephen King.
January 22, 2011