string Hear it!

string Definition

string (striŋ)

noun

    1. a thin line of twisted fiber used for tying, pulling, fastening, etc.; slender cord or thick thread
    2. a narrow strip of leather or cloth for fastening shoes, clothing, etc.; lace apron strings
  2. a length or loop of like things threaded, strung, or hung on a string a string of pearls
    1. a number of things arranged in a line or row a string of houses
    2. any series of things in close or uninterrupted succession a string of victories
    1. a number of racehorses belonging to one owner
    2. a number of business enterprises under one ownership or management a string of gift shops
  5. ☆ any of the groupings of players on a team according to ability the first string is more skilled than the second string, etc.
    1. a slender cord of wire, gut, nylon, etc. stretched on a musical instrument and bowed, plucked, or struck to make a musical sound
    2. all the stringed instruments of an orchestra, quintet, etc. played with a bow
    3. the players of such instruments
  7. a strong, slender organ, structure, etc. resembling a string; specif.,
    1. Archaic an animal nerve or tendon
    2. a fiber of a plant, esp. one connecting the two halves of a bean pod
  8. ☆ Informal a condition, limitation, or proviso attached to a plan, offer, donation, etc.: usually used in pl.
  9. Archit.
    1. one of the inclined boards under a stairs, notched to support the treads and risers
    2. stringcourse
  10. ☆ Billiards
    1. a line indicated but unmarked across the table at one end, from behind which the cue ball must be played after being out of play
      in full string line
    2. the act of stroking the cue ball so that it rebounds from the far cushion to stop as close as possible to the string line, for determining the order of play
  11. Particle Physics in string theory, any of various extremely tiny, one-dimensional, vibrating stringlike particles thought to be the basic units of matter

Etymology: ME streng < OE, akin to Ger strang: see strong

transitive verb strung, stringing string′·ing

  1. to fit or provide with a string or strings to string a longbow, a violin, etc.
  2. to thread or bead on a string
  3. to tie, pull, fasten, hang, lace, etc. with a string or strings
  4. to adjust or tune the strings of (a musical instrument) by tightening, etc.
  5. to make tense, nervous, or keyed (up)
  6. to remove the strings from (beans, etc.)
  7. to arrange or set forth in a row or successive series
  8. to stretch or extend like a string to string a cable

intransitive verb

  1. to form into a string or strings
  2. to stretch out in a line; extend; stretch; move or progress in a string
  3. to serve as a stringer (for a newspaper, magazine, etc.)
  4. Billiards lag ()

adjective

of or composed for stringed instruments string quartet

Related Forms:

string Idioms

on a string

or on the string
completely under one's control or subject to one's whims

pull strings

  1. to get someone to use influence in one's behalf, often secretly
  2. to direct action of others, often secretly

string along

☆ Informal
  1. to follow faithfully or accept trustingly
  2. to go along or agree
  3. to fool, trick, or keep in an uncertain state, as by promises

string up

Informal to kill by hanging
string Synonyms

string

n.

  1. A sequence

    chain, succession, procession; see line 1, order 3, sequence 1, series.

  2. Twine

    cord, twist, strand; see rope, twine.

string Telecom Definition
A linear series of things, such as bits or characters.
string Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • pull: Just push the big orange button or pull the string.
  • attach: Attach string to each peg, running it across to the peg directly opposite, to create a string grid of squares.
  • parse: STRING - The CAT attempts to parse a data string.

Adjective modifier

  • empty: The default value is the empty string, which means no extension will be appended to the filename in any case.
  • null-terminated: The XrmGetStringDatabase function creates a new database and stores the resources specified in the specified null-terminated string.
  • null: The second form sets name to the null string.
  • scalar: MACRO_NAMES Set this keyword to a scalar string or an array of strings that specifies the names of one or more macros to run.
  • literal: This makes it easy to embed literal strings that correspond to non-ASCII characters by simply typing the strings in place in the script.
  • cosmic: Multi-component condensates: kinetics, dynamics, solitary waves and phenomenological models of cosmic strings.

Modifies a noun

  • quartet: Here are some pictures of our January 2004 meeting, with a visiting string quartet.
  • orchestra: Here is an mp3 file of the first movement of Eine Kleine Nachtmusik in its original form for string orchestra.
  • representation: I wanted a nice way to convert the string representation into its object counterpart.
  • tostring: String toString ( ) Returns the pathname string of this abstract pathname.
  • buffer: This is accomplished by appending each quarter's sales figure to a string buffer.

Noun used with modifier

  • purse: His little con job was to rip off the old man who held a tight hand on the purse strings.
  • unicode: To write unicode strings to file, you have to specify the encoding you want to use and encode back into a byte-string.
  • init: Such a load command may be put in an init string.
  • character: I used the Airport Base Station utility to change the WEP password to a 26 character hex string.
  • guitar: CM: I find the guitar strings that retain their tonal quality longest are D'Addario.
  • query: One way the JDBC API deals with this problem is to allow any query string to be passed through to an underlying DBMS driver.
string Quotes

The chief defect of Henry King Was chewing little bits of string.

—Belloc, (Joseph) Hilaire Pierre

Ane bow that is ay bent Worthis ay unsmart and dullis on the string; Sa dois the mynd that is ay diligent In ernistfull thochtis and in studying.

—Henryson, Robert

I gave you the end of the golden string; Only wind it into a ball, It will lead you in at Heaven's gate, Built in Jerusalem's wall.

—Blake,William

The Canadians seem to be held together with string and safety pins.

—Acheson, Dean Gooderham

Our eye-beams twisted, and did thread Our eyes, upon one double string.

—Donne,John

And naked to the hangman's noose The morning clocks will ring A neck God made for other use Than strangling in a string.

—Housman, A(lfred) E(dward)

You may not be an angel Cause angels are so few But until the day that one comes along I'll string along with you.

—Dubin, Al

Thereareno handlestoa horse, butthe1910 model has a string to each side of its face for turning its head when there is anything you want it to see.

—Leacock, Stephen Butler

It's naked child against hungry wolf; it's playing bowls upon a splitting wreck; it's walking on a string across a gulf with millstones fore-and-aft about your neck; but the thing is daily done by manyand many a one; and we fall, face forward, fighting, on the deck.

—Davidson,John

Or bid the soul of Orpheus sing On the Morning of Christ's Nativity Such notes as, warbled to the string, Drew iron tears down Pluto's cheek, And made Hell grant what Love did seek.

—Milton,John