oriflamme

or·i·flamme  (ôr-flm, r-)

n.

1. An inspiring standard or symbol.

2. The red or orange-red flag of the Abbey of Saint Denis in France, used as a standard by the early kings of France.

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[Middle English oriflamble, banner of St. Denis, from Old French, variant of oriflambe, possibly from Medieval Latin aurea flamma, auriflamma (Latin aurea, feminine of aureus, golden, from aurum, gold + Latin flamma, flame; see flame) or alteration of Old French *lorie flambe, from Late Latin laurea flammula, laureled standard (Latin laurea, feminine of laureus, of laurel; see laureate + Latin flammula, banner, diminutive of flamma, flame).]

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oriflamme [ˈɒrɪˌflæm]

n

(Historical Terms) a scarlet flag, originally of the abbey of St. Denis in N France, adopted as the national banner of France in the Middle Ages

[via Old French, from Latin aurum gold + flamma flame]

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	oriflamme - an inspiring symbol or ideal that serves as a rallying point in a struggle symbolic representation, symbolisation, symbolization, symbol - something visible that by association or convention represents something else that is invisible; "the eagle is a symbol of the United States"
	2.	oriflamme - a red or orange-red flag used as a standard by early French kings banner, standard - any distinctive flag France, French Republic - a republic in western Europe; the largest country wholly in Europe