Online dictionaryOnline dictionary
Synonyms, antonyms, pronunciation

  Home
English Dictionary      examples: 'day', 'get rid of', 'New York Bay'




Hanging   /hˈæŋɪŋ/  /hˈæŋgɪŋ/   Listen
verb
Hang  v. t.  (past & past part. hung; pres. part. hanging)  
1.
To suspend; to fasten to some elevated point without support from below; often used with up or out; as, to hang a coat on a hook; to hang up a sign; to hang out a banner.
2.
To fasten in a manner which will allow of free motion upon the point or points of suspension; said of a pendulum, a swing, a door, gate, etc.
3.
To fit properly, as at a proper angle (a part of an implement that is swung in using), as a scythe to its snath, or an ax to its helve. (U. S.)
4.
To put to death by suspending by the neck; a form of capital punishment; as, to hang a murderer.
5.
To cover, decorate, or furnish by hanging pictures, trophies, drapery, and the like, or by covering with paper hangings; said of a wall, a room, etc. "Hung be the heavens with black." "And hung thy holy roofs with savage spoils."
6.
To paste, as paper hangings, on the walls of a room.
7.
To hold or bear in a suspended or inclined manner or position instead of erect; to droop; as, he hung his head in shame. "Cowslips wan that hang the pensive head."
8.
To prevent from reaching a decision, esp. by refusing to join in a verdict that must be unanimous; as, one obstinate juror can hang a jury.
To hang down, to let fall below the proper position; to bend down; to decline; as, to hang down the head, or, elliptically, to hang the head.
To hang fire (Mil.), to be slow in communicating fire through the vent to the charge; as, the gun hangs fire; hence, to hesitate, to hold back as if in suspense.



Hang  v. i.  (past & past part. hung; pres. part. hanging)  
1.
To be suspended or fastened to some elevated point without support from below; to dangle; to float; to rest; to remain; to stay.
2.
To be fastened in such a manner as to allow of free motion on the point or points of suspension.
3.
To die or be put to death by suspension from the neck. (R.) "Sir Balaam hangs."
4.
To hold for support; to depend; to cling; usually with on or upon; as, this question hangs on a single point. "Two infants hanging on her neck."
5.
To be, or be like, a suspended weight. "Life hangs upon me, and becomes a burden."
6.
To hover; to impend; to appear threateningly; usually with over; as, evils hang over the country.
7.
To lean or incline; to incline downward. "To decide which way hung the victory." "His neck obliquely o'er his shoulder hung."
8.
To slope down; as, hanging grounds.
9.
To be undetermined or uncertain; to be in suspense; to linger; to be delayed. "A noble stroke he lifted high, Which hung not, but so swift with tempest fell On the proud crest of Satan."
10.
(Cricket, Tennis, etc.) Of a ball: To rebound unexpectedly or unusually slowly, due to backward spin on the ball or imperfections of ground.
11.
(Baseball) To fail to curve, break, or drop as intended; said of pitches, such as curve balls or sliders.
12.
(Computers) To cease to operate normally and remain suspended in some state without performing useful work; said of computer programs, computers, or individual processes within a program; as, when using Windows 3.1, my system would hang and need rebooting several times a day. Note: this situation could be caused by bugs within an operating system or within a program, or incompatibility between programs or between programs and the hardware.
To hang around, to loiter idly about.
To hang back, to hesitate; to falter; to be reluctant. "If any one among you hangs back."
To hang by the eyelids.
(a)
To hang by a very slight hold or tenure.
(b)
To be in an unfinished condition; to be left incomplete.
To hang in doubt, to be in suspense.
To hang on (with the emphasis on the preposition), to keep hold; to hold fast; to stick; to be persistent, as a disease.
To hang on the lips To hang on the words, etc., to be charmed by eloquence.
To hang out.
(a)
To be hung out so as to be displayed; to project.
(b)
To be unyielding; as, the juryman hangs out against an agreement; to hold out. (Colloq.)
(c)
to loiter or lounge around a particular place; as, teenageers tend to hang out at the mall these days.
To hang over.
(a)
To project at the top.
(b)
To impend over.
To hang to, to cling.
To hang together.
(a)
To remain united; to stand by one another. "We are all of a piece; we hang together."
(b)
To be self-consistent; as, the story does not hang together. (Colloq.)
To hang upon.
(a)
To regard with passionate affection.
(b)
(Mil.) To hover around; as, to hang upon the flanks of a retreating enemy.



adjective
Hanging  adj.  
1.
Requiring, deserving, or foreboding death by the halter. "What a hanging face!"
2.
Suspended from above; pendent; as, hanging shelves.
3.
Adapted for sustaining a hanging object; as, the hanging post of a gate, the post which holds the hinges.
Hanging compass, a compass suspended so that the card may be read from beneath.
Hanging garden, a garden sustained at an artificial elevation by any means, as by the terraces at Babylon.
Hanging indentation. See under Indentation.
Hanging rail (Arch.), that rail of a door or casement to which hinges are attached.
Hanging side (Mining), the overhanging side of an inclined or hading vein.
Hanging sleeves.
(a)
Strips of the same stuff as the gown, hanging down the back from the shoulders.
(b)
Loose, flowing sleeves.
Hanging stile. (Arch.)
(a)
That stile of a door to which hinges are secured.
(b)
That upright of a window frame to which casements are hinged, or in which the pulleys for sash windows are fastened.
Hanging wall (Mining), the upper wall of inclined vein, or that which hangs over the miner's head when working in the vein.



noun
Hanging  n.  
1.
The act of suspending anything; the state of being suspended.
2.
Death by suspension; execution by a halter.
3.
That which is hung as lining or drapery for the walls of a room, as tapestry, paper, etc., or to cover or drape a door or window; used chiefly in the plural. "Now purple hangings clothe the palace walls."






Collaborative International Dictionary of English 0.48








Advanced search
     Find words:
Starting with
Ending with
Containing
Matching a pattern  

Synonyms
Antonyms
Quotes
Words linked to  

only single words



Share |
Add this dictionary
to your browser search bar





"Hanging" Quotes from Famous Books



... from the mess cabin, they saw the balloon hanging in midair. Watching they saw it move slowly southward. On the bridge by the cabin ...
— Panther Eye • Roy J. Snell

... not aware that she herself made quite as charming a picture. The spirit of laughter still flitted over her face, from eyes to dimples; her shining black curls were lighted up with a rope of cherry-colored chenille, hanging in a tassel at her ear; and her graceful little figure showed to advantage in a neatly fitting dress of soft brown merino, embroidered with cherry-colored silk. On her lap was little Lila, dressed in white and azure, ...
— A Romance of the Republic • Lydia Maria Francis Child

... the frigate's lofty side without let or hindrance; and when I sprang, sword in hand, down upon her deck, I was met by a mere lad, his beardless face deadly pale, his head bound up in a blood-sodden bandage, and his right arm hanging helpless—and broken—by his side. With his left hand he tendered to me his sword, in silence, and then, turning away, ...
— The Log of a Privateersman • Harry Collingwood

... the table a plateful of rice and fish, a jar of water, and a bottle half full of genever. After carefully placing before her master a cracked glass tumbler and a tin spoon she went away noiselessly. Nina stood by the table, one hand lightly resting on its edge, the other hanging listlessly by her side. Her face turned towards the outer darkness, through which her dreamy eyes seemed to see some entrancing picture, wore a look of impatient expectancy. She was tall for a half- caste, with the correct profile of the father, modified and strengthened ...
— Almayer's Folly - A Story of an Eastern River • Joseph Conrad

... improbability of his having escaped death, inasmuch as the Crucifixion was hurried, and the body was immediately delivered to friends without the known destruction of any organic function, and while still hanging upon ...
— The Fair Haven • Samuel Butler


More quotes...



Copyright © 2025 Dictionary One.com