Battle Flag
a flag carried by armed forces on land

Battle Honors
the names of battles or engagements in which the unit fought; honors are sewn or painted onto the flag or attached streamers

Bicolor
a flag of two colors divided vertically or horizontally into equal halves

Bunting
woolen fabric from which flags were traditionally made

Camp Colors
small flags used primarily to mark a unit's camp

Canton
the upper left-hand portion of a flag, usually but not always one-fourth of the flag's total area

Coat of Arms
heraldic insignia usually consisting of a shield, crest, supporters and motto

Color
military term for a flag, often used in the plural, as in National Colors

E Pluribus Unum
Latin phrase meaning "one out of many" found in the United States arms

Ferrule
a metal tip at the bottom of a staff used to plant the flag in the ground or rest the flag in a sling around the neck

Field
the principal area of a flag, usually made up of a single fabric or several joined fabrics

Finial
an ornamental device attached to the head of a flag staff

Flag
a usually rectangular piece of fabric of distinctive design that is used as a symbol, signaling device or decoration

Flank Markers
small flags carried at each end of an infantry regiment's line of battle to mark the flanks

Fly
the free vertical half of the flag opposite the staff; also the length of the flag measured from the sleeve to the free edge

Fringe
ornamental border attached to the three free edges of a flag consisting of short straight or twisted threads or strips hanging from cut or raveled edges or from a separate band

Guidon
a small forked or swallowtailed marker flag usually carried at the front of an advancing military unit, particularly a cavalry formation

Hoist
the vertical half of the flag nearest the staff; also the height of the flag as measured along the staff edge

Insignia
a badge of authority or honor; a distinguishing mark or sign 

Muster In/Out
the formal procedure of swearing recruits into or out of government service; state volunteers first took and oath to defend their state, then were sworn into national service

National Colors
the United States national flag, especially when it is ornamented with yellow fringe

Obverse
view of the flag as seen when the staff edge is to the viewer's left (see also reverse)

Organizational Color
a flag carried by a color-bearing unit, i.e. a regiment or battalion, charged with the regimental or battalion coat of arms

Organizational Flag
a flag carried by a unit not authorized to carry an organizational color, i.e. a group, brigade, division or major command; many such flags are vertical or horizontal bicolors of the appropriate branch colors and most bear the organizational formation sign

Pennant
a flag made in the shape of an isosceles triangle, which has two equal sides

Regimental Color
the distinguishing flag of a military unit, especially an army formation of battalion or regimental size; generally it is ornamented with fringe and bears the regiment's title, battle honors, badge and/or coat of arms

Reverse
view of the flag with the staff edge to the viewer's right (see also obverse)

Sleeve
the part of the flag through which the staff is slipped, usually it is doubled over and reinforced

Staff
the wooden pole on which any type of military flag is attached; during the Civil War these were also called pikes (for infantry units) or lances (for cavalry units)

Streamer
a narrow length of ribbon with a swallowtailed fly end which is attached to the top of the staff of an organizational color or organizational flag to signify a battle honor, campaign credit, or unit decoration 

Swallowtailed
a flag with a fly end that has two points and a field that is notched in a V shape

United States Arms
consists of a bald eagle holding an olive branch in one talon and a bundle of arrows in the other and a scroll with the motto "E Pluribus Unum" in its beak; a shield with red and white stripes may be on the eagle's breast or beneath the talons

Vexillology
the study of flags and their history