half-mast

See also: half mast

English edit

English Wikipedia has an article on:

half-mast

Wikipedia

half-mast (uncountable)

The lowered position, half the height of a mast, at which a flag is flown when mourning, especially expressing respect for the dead.
- 2016 October 13, Department for Culture, Media & Sport and Foreign & Commonwealth Office, "Flag-flying from UK government buildings for the death of the King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand", GOV.UK, Government Digital Service:
  Any other UK national flags flown alongside the Union Flag when it is at half-mast should also be at half-mast.
- 2023 November 2, “China mourns late ex-Premier Li Keqiang”, in Deutsche Welle‎^[1], archived from the original on 02 November 2023, China‎^[2]:
  He is to be cremated later Thursday at a ceremony likely to be attended by the country's top leadership.
  Flags were seen flying at half-mast in Beijing's Tiananmen Square. China's state news agency Xinhua reported that flags would be lowered at government buildings across mainland China, semi-autonomous regions of Hong Kong and Macau, and in consulates abroad.
(by extension) The lowered position of any thing.
(euphemistic, of a man) The state of being partially erect
- 2009, Stephen Cannell, At First Sight: A Novel of Obsession, Vanguard Press, →ISBN, page 227:
  Finally, he was at half-mast, hanging out over the toilet seat, barely erect.

lowered position of a flag

lowered position of any thing

state of being partially erect