Word of the Day
June 12, 2026
Canton
A small, square division of a shield or flag, usually placed in an upper corner; on the American flag, the canton is the blue field bearing the stars.
From the Old French 'canton,' meaning a corner or portion, by way of Late Latin 'canto,' a corner; the same word names territorial divisions such as the cantons of Switzerland.
Usage Examples
- The fifty stars of the American flag rest in the canton, the blue field in the upper corner.
- In heraldry, a canton is a small square set into a corner of a shield.
- Kim explained that the blue background of Old Glory is properly called the canton.
From the Show
Kim Monson chose the word for Flag Day, noting that the blue field holding the stars of the American flag is properly called the canton. The choice set up an hour with retired Air Force Colonel Bill Rutledge on the flag’s history and protocol in the June 12, 2026 broadcast on Flag Day and the American flag.