baucan

English

Etymology

From French, perhaps related to Old French baucent (“black and white; the black and white flag (with red cross) of the templars”), Old Occitan bausan (“black and white (horse)”) despite the change in meaning/colour.

Noun

baucan (plural baucans)

1. (historical) A long red streamer hoisted by ships during the Middle Ages to indicate combat to the death.
   • For quotations using this term, see Citations:baucan.

Alternative forms

• baucent