the ensign of the Royal Navy and the Royal Yacht Squadron, having a red cross on a white background with the Union Jack at the upper corner of the vertical edge alongside the hoist
Compare Red Ensign, Blue Ensign
white ensign in American English
noun
the British naval ensign, consisting of the red cross of St. George on a white field, with the British union occupying the upper quarter along the hoist
Word origin
[1875–80]This word is first recorded in the period 1875–80. Other words that entered Englishat around the same time include: authoritarian, cross-fertilization, knockabout, slime mold, weekend