Jolly Roger

Meanings

1. 1proper nounproper

   The black flag with a white skull and crossed bones that pirate ships traditionally flew.

   Grammar: A proper noun, so it is capitalized and usually takes 'the' when you refer to a specific flag: the Jolly Roger.

   Patterns

   • fly the Jolly Roger
   • raise the Jolly Roger
   • the Jolly Roger

   In the old stories, the pirate captain orders his crew to raise the Jolly Roger before they attack.

   The museum displays a tattered Jolly Roger that was supposedly taken from a real pirate ship.

   Children at the costume party waved a paper Jolly Roger with a skull and crossbones.

2. 2proper nounproperfigurative

   A flag or symbol with a skull and crossbones used informally to suggest piracy or a rebellious, dangerous attitude.

   Grammar: Used in a figurative or humorous way, often after 'a' when it means a symbol rather than one particular flag.

   Patterns

   • a Jolly Roger
   • like a Jolly Roger

   The software pirates used a Jolly Roger as their logo, joking about their illegal downloads.

   He stuck a Jolly Roger on his laptop, as if to say he was a rebel.

Common combinations

fly the Jolly Roger

The ship flew the Jolly Roger as it entered the harbor.

raise the Jolly Roger

The crew raised the Jolly Roger at sunset.

a Jolly Roger flag

She bought a Jolly Roger flag for the boat.

the skull and crossbones on the Jolly Roger

The skull and crossbones on the Jolly Roger is its most recognizable feature.

Synonyms and how they differ

pirate flag

A general term for any flag used by pirates; 'Jolly Roger' specifically means the black flag with a skull and crossbones.

skull and crossbones

Refers to the symbol itself, not the whole flag; the Jolly Roger usually has this symbol on it.

Commonly confused: Jolly Roger or Roger?

Practice

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Write a sentence using “Jolly Roger”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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