The main ship in a fleet that carries the commander, or the most important product or store of a company.
From 'flag' (a military banner) and 'ship,' combining to mean 'the ship that flies the commander's flag.' Originally referring to naval vessels in the 16th century, the term was later extended metaphorically to mean the most important or representative item of any kind.
During naval battles, destroying an enemy's flagship was a strategic priority because it disabled the entire fleet's coordination—remove the commander and the fleet becomes a confused collection of independent ships. Today, Apple's Fifth Avenue flagship store in New York is designed as an architectural statement just like those historic ships were designed to impress and intimidate rivals.
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