Flag vs. Switch — What's the Difference?

A flag is a piece of fabric (most often rectangular or quadrilateral) with a distinctive design and colours. It is used as a symbol, a signalling device, or for decoration.

In electrical engineering, a switch is an electrical component that can disconnect or connect the conducting path in an electrical circuit, interrupting the electric current or diverting it from one conductor to another. The most common type of switch is an electromechanical device consisting of one or more sets of movable electrical contacts connected to external circuits.

A piece of cloth or similar material, typically oblong or square, attachable by one edge to a pole or rope and used as the symbol or emblem of a country or institution or as a decoration during public festivities

A device for making and breaking the connection in an electric circuit

A small piece of cloth attached at one edge to a pole and used as a marker or signal in various sports

An act of changing to or adopting one thing in place of another

A variable used to indicate a particular property of the data in a record.

A slender, flexible shoot cut from a tree.

A flat stone slab, typically rectangular or square, used for paving.

A set of points on a railway track.

A plant with sword-shaped leaves that grow from a rhizome.

A tress of false or detached hair tied at one end, used in hairdressing to supplement natural hair.

Mark (an item) for attention or treatment in a specified way

Change the position, direction, or focus of

Signal to a vehicle or driver to stop, especially by waving one's arm

Beat or flick with or as if with a switch.

Provide or decorate with a flag or flags.

An exchange or a swap, especially one done secretly.

Become tired or less enthusiastic or dynamic

A transference or shift, as of opinion or attention.

A piece of cloth, usually rectangular, of distinctive color and design, used as a symbol, standard, signal, or emblem.

A device used to break or open an electric circuit or to divert current from one conductor to another.

National or other allegiance, as symbolized by a flag

A device consisting of two sections of railroad track and accompanying apparatus used to transfer rolling stock from one track to another.

A ship carrying the flag of an admiral; a flagship.

A slender flexible rod, stick, or twig, especially one used for whipping.

A marking device, such as a gummed strip of paper, attached to an object to attract attention or ease identification; a tab.

The bushy tip of the tail of certain animals

The masthead of a newspaper.

A thick strand of real or synthetic hair used as part of a coiffure.

(Music) A cross stroke that halves the value of a note to which it is added.

A flailing or lashing, as with a slender rod

A distinctively shaped or marked tail, as of a dog or deer.

To exchange

(Computers) A variable or memory location that stores true-or-false, yes-or-no information.

To shift, transfer, or divert

A plant, such as an iris or cattail, that has long sword-shaped leaves.

To connect, disconnect, or divert (an electric current) by operating a switch.

A flagstone.

To cause (an electric current or appliance) to begin or cease operation

To mark with a flag or flags for identification or ornamentation

(Informal) To produce as if by operating a control. Often used with on

To signal with or as if with a flag.

To move (rolling stock) from one track to another; shunt.

To signal to stop

To whip with a switch, especially in punishing a child.

To lose vigor or strength; weaken or diminish

To jerk or swish abruptly or sharply

To pave with slabs of flagstone.

To make or undergo a shift or an exchange

A piece of cloth, often decorated with an emblem, used as a visual signal or symbol.

To swish sharply from side to side.

An exact representation of a flag (for example: a digital one used in websites).

A device to turn electric current on and off or direct its flow.

(nautical) A flag flown by a ship to show the presence on board of the admiral; the admiral himself, or his flagship.

A change or exchange.

A signal flag.

A movable section of railroad track which allows the train to be directed down one of two destination tracks; (set of) points.

The use of a flag, especially to indicate the start of a race or other event.

A slender woody plant stem used as a whip; a thin, flexible rod, associated with corporal punishment in the United States.

(computer science) A variable or memory location that stores a true-or-false, yes-or-no value, typically either recording the fact that a certain event has occurred or requesting that a certain optional action take place.

(musical instruments) rute.

(computer science) In a command line interface, a command parameter requesting optional behavior or otherwise modifying the action of the command being invoked.

(computer science) A command line notation allowing specification of optional behavior.

(aviation) A mechanical indicator that pops up to draw the pilot's attention to a problem or malfunction.

A programming construct that takes different actions depending on the value of an expression.

The game of capture the flag.

A networking device connecting multiple wires, allowing them to communicate simultaneously, when possible. Compare to the less efficient hub device that solely duplicates network packets to each wire.

(geometry) A sequence of faces of a given polytope, one of each dimension up to that of the polytope (formally, though in practice not always explicitly, including the null face and the polytope itself), such that each face in the sequence is part of the next-higher dimension face.

(telecommunication) A system of specialized relays, computer hardware, or other equipment which allows the interconnection of a calling party's telephone line with any called party's line.

A sequence of subspaces of a vector space, beginning with the null space and ending with the vector space itself, such that each member of the sequence (until the last) is a proper subspace of the next.

(genetics) A mechanism within DNA that activates or deactivates a gene.

(television) A dark piece of material that can be mounted on a stand to block or shape the light.

(BDSM) One who is willing to take either a submissive or a dominant role in a sexual relationship.

An apron.

(historical) A separate mass or tress of hair, or of some substance (such as jute) made to resemble hair, formerly worn on the head by women.

A plot or words of a character in an animation, etc., that would usually lead to a specific outcome or event, not logically or causally, but as a pattern of the animation, etc.

(card games) A variant of crazy eights where one card, such as an ace, reverses the direction of play.

Any of various plants with sword-shaped leaves, especially irises; specifically, Iris pseudacorus.

(transitive) To exchange.

A slice of turf; a sod.

(transitive) To change (something) to the specified state using a switch.

A slab of stone; a flagstone, a flat piece of stone used for paving.

To whip or hit with a switch.

(geology) Any hard, evenly stratified sandstone, which splits into layers suitable for flagstones.

(intransitive) To change places, tasks, etc.

To furnish or deck out with flags.

To get angry suddenly; to quickly or unreasonably become enraged.

To mark with a flag, especially to indicate the importance of something.

To swing or whisk.

(often with down) To signal to, especially to stop a passing vehicle etc.

To be swung or whisked.

To convey (a message) by means of flag signals.

To trim.

(often with up) To note, mark or point out for attention.

To turn from one railway track to another; to transfer by a switch; generally with off, from, etc.

(computing) To signal (an event).

(ecclesiastical) To shift to another circuit.

(computing) To set a program variable to true.

(snowboarding) Pertaining to riding with the front and back feet swapped round compared to one's normal position.

To decoy (game) by waving a flag, handkerchief, etc. to arouse the animal's curiosity.

Pertaining to skiing backwards.

(sports) To penalize for an infraction.

A small, flexible twig or rod.

To lose on time, especially in a blitz game; when using a traditional analog chess clock, a flag would fall when time expired.

A movable part of a rail; or of opposite rails, for transferring cars from one track to another.

To defeat (an opponent) on time, especially in a blitz game.

A separate mass or trees of hair, or of some substance (at jute) made to resemble hair, worn on the head by women.

(firearms) To point the muzzle of a firearm at a person or object one does not intend to fire on.

A device for shifting an electric current to another circuit, or for making and breaking a circuit.

To fail, such as a class or an exam.

To strike with a switch or small flexible rod; to whip.

(intransitive) To weaken, become feeble.

To swing or whisk; as, to switch a cane.

To hang loose without stiffness; to bend down, as flexible bodies; to be loose, yielding, limp.

To trim, as, a hedge.

To let droop; to suffer to fall, or let fall, into feebleness.

To turn from one railway track to another; to transfer by a switch; - generally with off, from, etc.; as, to switch off a train; to switch a car from one track to another.

To enervate; to exhaust the vigour or elasticity of.

To shift to another circuit.

(transitive) To pave with flagstones.

To walk with a jerk.

To hang loose without stiffness; to bend down, as flexible bodies; to be loose, yielding, limp.

Control consisting of a mechanical or electrical or electronic device for making or breaking or changing the connections in a circuit

To droop; to grow spiritless; to lose vigor; to languish; as, the spirits flag; the strength flags.

An event in which one thing is substituted for another;

To let droop; to suffer to fall, or let fall, into feebleness; as, to flag the wings.

Hairpiece consisting of a tress of false hair; used by women to give shape to a coiffure

To enervate; to exhaust the vigor or elasticity of.

Railroad track having two movable rails and necessary connections; used to turn a train from one track to another or to store rolling stock

To signal to with a flag or by waving the hand; as, to flag a train; also used with down; as, to flag down a cab.

A flexible implement used as an instrument of punishment

To convey, as a message, by means of flag signals; as, to flag an order to troops or vessels at a distance.

A basketball maneuver; two defensive players shift assignments so that each guards the player usually guarded by the other

To decoy (game) by waving a flag, handkerchief, or the like to arouse the animal's curiosity.

The act of changing one thing or position for another;

To furnish or deck out with flags.

Change over, change around, or switch over

To lay with flags of flat stones.

Exchange or give (something) in exchange for

That which flags or hangs down loosely.

Lay aside, abandon, or leave for another;

A cloth usually bearing a device or devices and used to indicate nationality, party, etc., or to give or ask information; - commonly attached to a staff to be waved by the wind; a standard; a banner; an ensign; the colors; as, the national flag; a military or a naval flag.

Make a shift in or exchange of;

A group of feathers on the lower part of the legs of certain hawks, owls, etc.

Cause to go on or to be engaged or set in operation;

One of the wing feathers next the body of a bird; - called also flag feather.

Flog with or as if with a flexible rod

An aquatic plant, with long, ensiform leaves, belonging to either of the genera Iris and Acorus.

Reverse (a direction, attitude, or course of action)

A flat stone used for paving.

Any hard, evenly stratified sandstone, which splits into layers suitable for flagstones.

Emblem usually consisting of a rectangular piece of cloth of distinctive design

Plants with sword-shaped leaves and erect stalks bearing bright-colored flowers composed of three petals and three drooping sepals

A rectangular piece of fabric used as a signalling device

A listing printed in all issues of a newspaper or magazine (usually on the editorial page) that gives the name of the publication and the names of the editorial staff, etc.

Flagpole used to mark the position of the hole on a golf green

Stratified stone that splits into pieces suitable as paving stones

A conspicuously marked or shaped tail

Communicate or signal with a flag

Provide with a flag;

Droop, sink, or settle from or as if from pressure or loss of tautness

Decorate with flags;

Become less intense