banner vs ensign

banner

noun
  • A flag or standard used by a military commander, monarch or nation. 

  • A large piece of cloth with a slogan, motto, or emblem carried in a demonstration or other procession or suspended in some conspicuous place. 

  • The title of a newspaper as printed on its front page; the nameplate; masthead. 

  • A type of administrative division in Inner Mongolia and Tuva, made during the Qing dynasty; at that time, Outer Mongolia and part of Xinjiang were also divided into banners. 

  • A cause or purpose; a campaign or movement. 

  • A military or administrative subdivision. 

  • A type of advertisement on a web page or on television, usually taking the form of a graphic or animation above or alongside the content. 

  • The military unit under such a flag or standard. 

  • The principal standard of a knight. 

  • One who bans something. 

  • Any large sign, especially when made of soft material or fabric. 

adj
  • Exceptional; very good. 

verb
  • To display as a banner headline. 

  • To adorn with a banner. 

ensign

noun
  • A flag or banner carried by military units; a standard or color/colour. 

  • A junior commissioned officer in the 18th and 19th centuries whose duty was to carry the unit's ensign. 

  • The lowest grade of commissioned officer in the United States Navy, junior to a lieutenant junior grade. 

  • A badge of office, rank, or power. 

  • The principal flag or banner flown by a ship (usually at the stern) to indicate nationality. 

  • Any prominent flag or banner. 

verb
  • To distinguish by a mark or ornament. 

  • To distinguish by an ornament, especially by a crown. 

How often have the words banner and ensign occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )