at half-mast

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Idioms and Phrases

Halfway up or down, as in The church bells tolled off and on all day and the flags were at half-mast . This term refers to placing a flag halfway up a ship's mast or flagpole, a practice used as a mark of respect for a person who has died or, at sea, as a distress signal. Occasionally the term is transferred to other objects, as in Tom's pants were at half-mast as he raced around the playground , or The puppy's tail was at half-mast . [First half of 1600s]

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Flags on Scottish government buildings will also fly at half-mast during the funeral in honour of Pope Francis.

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There’s no one like this kewpie triple threat, and even at half-mast she was able to summon some of the old magic.

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The solemnity echoing the national mood as flags fly at half-mast.

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Flags on government buildings, parliament and the royal palaces will fly at half-mast on Wednesday, the prime minister's press office said.

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Flags are flying at half-mast across Turkey in memory of the victims of the fire, while the first funerals are being held.

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Athabaskan Athaliah

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