hoist

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
hoist/hɔɪst/

▶verb raise by means of ropes and pulleys.

■ haul up.

▶noun

• 1 an act of hoisting.

• 2 an apparatus for hoisting something.

• 3 the part of a flag nearest the staff.

• 4 a group of flags raised as a signal.

– phrases
hoist one's flag (of an admiral) take up command.
hoist the flag stake one's claim to territory by displaying a flag.

– derivatives
hoister noun.

– origin C15: alt. of dial. hoise, prob. from Du. hijsen or Low Ger. hiesen.