A signaler who uses a flag. A flag officer in the navy, that is, an officer who commands an entire fleet or squadron, and who flies a flag indicating his rank, either as an admiral, vice-admiral, or rear admiral.
"To the office, where busy all day; and in the evening Sir W. Pen come to me, and we walked together and talked of the late fight. He told me that our very commanders, nay, our very flag-officers, do stand in need of exercising among themselves; and discoursing the business of commanding a fleete, he telling me that even one of our flag-men in the fleete did not know which tacke lost the wind or which kept it, in the last engagement. He did talk very rationally to me, insomuch that I took more pleasure this night in hearing him discourse than I ever did in my life in any thing that he said."
Samuel Pepys, Diary (July 4, 1666).
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