hang Hear it!

hang definition

hang (haŋ)

transitive verb hung, hanging hang′·ing, hanged

  1. to attach to something above with no support from below; suspend
  2. to attach so as to permit free motion at the point of attachment to hang a door on its hinges
  3. to put to death by tying a rope about the neck and suddenly suspending the body so as to snap the neck or cause strangulation
  4. to fasten (pictures, etc.) to a wall by hooks, wires, etc.
  5. to ornament or cover with things suspended to hang a room with pictures and drapes
  6. to paste (wallpaper) to walls
  7. to exhibit (pictures) in a museum or gallery
  8. to let (one's head) droop downward
  9. to fasten (an ax head, scythe blade, etc.) with correct balance
  10. to pin and sew the hem of (a dress) evenly at a desired distance from the floor
  11. ☆ to deadlock (a jury) by one's vote
  12. to fix (something) on a person or thing
  13. Baseball to pitch (a breaking ball) that fails to curve sharply and is therefore easy to hit

Etymology: ME hangen, with form < OE vi. hangian & ON vi. hanga; senses < these, also < OE vt. hon & ON caus. v. hengja; akin to Ger vi. hangen, vt. hängen, to execute (caus.): all ult. < IE base *enk, to sway, hang (akin to *keg- > hook)

intransitive verb

  1. to be attached to something above with no support from below
  2. to hover or float in the air, as though suspended
  3. to swing, as on a hinge
  4. to fall, flow, or drape, as cloth, a coat, etc.
  5. to die by hanging
    1. to incline; lean
    2. to droop; bend
  6. to be doubtful or undecided; hesitate
  7. to have one's pictures exhibited in a museum or gallery
  8. Slang: often with with[hanging with their friends at the mall]
    1. to loiter; idle
    2. to engage in social activity

noun

  1. the way that a thing hangs
  2. a pause in, or suspension of, motion
hang Idioms

get (or have) the hang of

  1. to learn (or have) the knack of
  2. to understand the significance or idea of

hang a left

or hang a right
Slang to turn to the left (or right), as in driving a car

hang around

or hang about
  1. to cluster around
  2. Informal to loiter or linger around
  3. Informal to associate or socialize with Don't hang around those kids!

hang around with

Informal to associate or socialize with

hang back

or hang off
to be reluctant to advance, as from timidity or shyness

hang fire

  1. to be slow in firing: said of a gun
  2. to be slow in doing something
  3. to be unsettled or undecided

hang five (or ten)

to ride a surfboard with the toes of one (or both) feet draped over the front edge of the board

hang in (there)

Informal to hold steadfast; persevere

hang it!

an exclamation of anger or exasperation

hang it (or them or 'em) up

Informal to retire or quit

hang loose

Slang to be relaxed, easygoing, etc.

hang on

  1. to keep hold
  2. to go on doing; persevere
  3. to depend on; be contingent on
  4. to lean on; be supported by
  5. to be a burden
  6. to listen attentively to

hang one on

Slang
  1. to hit with a blow
  2. to go on a drunken spree

hang out

  1. to lean out
  2. to display, as by suspending
  3. Slang
    1. to reside
    2. to spend much of one's time; frequent a place
  4. Slang to loiter; idle

hang over

  1. to project over; overhang
  2. to hover over
  3. to loom over; threaten
  4. to be left from a previous time or state

hang to

to hold or clutch tenaciously

hang together

  1. to stick or remain together
  2. to make sense in a coherent way

hang tough

Informal to take a firm or defiant stand; be inflexible

hang up

  1. to put on a hanger, hook, etc., esp. in the proper place
  2. ☆ to put a telephone receiver or handset back in place in ending a call
  3. to delay or suspend the progress of cars that are hung up in traffic

not care a hang about

or not give a hang about
to not care the least bit about

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

hang Synonyms

hang

v.

  1. To suspend

    dangle, attach, drape, hook up, put in a sling, hang up, nail on the wall, put on a clothesline, fix, pin up, tack up, drape on the wall, fasten up; see also fasten 1.

    Antonyms drop*, throw down*, let fall.

  2. To be suspended

    overhang, be held aloft, wave, flap, be loose, be pendent, droop, flop, be in mid air, swing, dangle, jut, be fastened, impend, hover, stay up.

    Antonyms fall*, come down*, drop. *

  3. To kill by hanging

    execute, lynch, hang by the neck until dead, garrote, string up*, stretch*; see also kill 1.

  4. To depend

    cling, turn on, be determined by; see depend 1, 2.

get </em>or </strong>have the hang of

have the knack of, grasp, comprehend, learn; see understand 1.

not care <strong>or </strong>give a hang about

be indifferent toward, not care about, ignore; see neglect 2.


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

hang Usage Examples

Object

  • glider: As the authors put it: " An ultralight is little more than a hang glider with a motor and a seat.

Preposition: on

  • sec: Only, hang on a sec, it won't be that simple.

Followed by an intransitive particle

  • around: Should you hang around or is there any way out.

Followed by a transitive particle

  • around: Fame is an ornament to hang around the neck.

Present participle complement

  • glide: W It is quite hard to put the feeling of hang gliding into words.

Preposition: in

  • balance: The fate of the industry hangs in the balance.

Preposition: by

  • thread: All things mortal hang by a tenuous thread, and what was strong is ruined by sudden chance.
hang usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

hang quotes

I think we ought to let him hang there. Let him twist slowly, slowly in the wind.

-Ehrlichman,John

We must indeed all hang together or, most assuredly, we shall all hang separately.

-Frank, Anne

Any Old Place I Can Hang My Hat Is Home Sweet Home to Me.

-Jerome,William

hang quotes (more)

Webster's New World Dictionary of Quotations Copyright © 2005 by Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Published by Wiley, Hoboken, NJ. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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"hang." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 5 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/hang>

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hang. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 5th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/hang

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