in the military art, a banner or colours under which soldiers are ranged, according to the different companies or parties they belong to. See Flag, Colours, Standard, &c.

The Turkish ensigns are horses tails; those of the Europeans are pieces of taffety, with divers figures, colours, arms, and devices thereon. Xenophon tells us, that the ensign borne by the Persians was a golden eagle on a white flag; the Corinthians bore the winged horse, or Pegalus, in theirs; the Athenians, an owl; the Messenians, the Greek letter M; the Lacedemonians the A. The Romans had a great diversity of ensigns; the wolf, minotaur, horse, boar, and at length the eagle, where they stopped: this was first assumed in the second year of the consulate of Marius*. A military ensign on a medal of a Roman colony denotes it a colony peopled with old soldiers.

Ensign is also the officer that carries the colours, being the lowest commissioned officer in a company of foot, subordinate to the captain and lieutenant. It is a very honourable and proper post for a young gentleman at his first coming into the army: he is to carry the colours both in assault, day of battle, &c., and should not quit them but with his life: he is always to carry them himself on his left shoulder: only on a march he may have them carried by a soldier. If the ensign is killed, the captain is to carry the colours in his stead.

Naval Ensign, a large standard or banner hoisted on a long pole erected over the poop, and called the ensign-flag.—The ensign is used to distinguish the ships of different nations from each other, as also to characterize the different squadrons of the navy. The British ensign in ships of war is known by a double cross, viz. that of St George and St Andrew, formed upon a field which is either red, white, or blue.