flag-staff

flag-staff (plural flag-staffs or flag-staves)

1. Alternative form of flagstaff
   • 1816, John Britton, Edward Wedlake Brayley, Thomas Hood, The Beauties of England and Wales:

     At the west is a square tower, of graceless proportions, surmounted by a mean wooden turret and two flag-staves.

   • 1928, Arthur Riehl Wilson, Robert Melville Danford, Field Artillery Manual:

     When the Flag is at half-staff, in the case of a cylindrical iron flag-staff, the middle of the hoist is about half-way between the top of the staff and the band to which the top of the guy anchors are fastened.

   • 2014, Clements R. Markham, F. H. H. Guillemard, The Lands of Silence, page 495:

     Near this cavern there was a hut for absolute magnetic observations, and on a small hill above, on which was a flag-staff, were the meteorological instruments.

   • 2015, Henry Faulds, Nine Years in Nipon, page 261:

     Just outside the outer gateway posts are inserted in the ground wherewith to support the tall flag-staffs used at festivals, and sometimes other smaller ones for the cords on which lanterns are hung during illuminations.