English Explanatory Dictionary

hang

English dictionary entry

Meanings

verb
  1. To be or remain suspended.
  2. To float, as if suspended.
  3. To veer in one direction.
  4. To rebound unexpectedly or unusually slowly, due to backward spin on the ball or imperfections of the ground.
  5. To hold or bear in a suspended or inclined manner or position instead of erect.
  6. To cause (something) to be suspended, as from a hook, hanger, hinges, or the like.
  7. To kill (someone) by suspension from the neck, usually as a form of execution or suicide.
  8. To be executed by suspension by one's neck from a gallows, a tree, or other raised bar, attached by a rope tied into a noose.
  9. (used in maledictions) To damn.
  10. To loiter; to hang around; to spend time idly.
  11. To exhibit (an object) by hanging.
  12. To apply (wallpaper or drywall to a wall).
noun
  1. The way in which something hangs.
  2. A mass of hanging material.
  3. A slackening of motion.
  4. A sharp or steep declivity or slope.
  5. An instance of ceasing to respond to input.
  6. A grip, understanding.
  7. A hangout.
  8. A person that someone hangs out with.
noun
  1. Cheap processed ham (cured pork), often made specially for sandwiches.
noun
  1. Alternative spelling of Hang (“musical instrument”).
noun
  1. The smallest amount of concern or consideration; a damn.
noun
  1. A percussion instrument invented and built by PANArt Hangbau AG, somewhat resembling a steelpan, consisting of two metal half shells with tuned notes on the top side that produces a mellow and ethereal sound.

Pronunciation

/ˈhæŋ/ [ˈhæŋ] /ˈheɪ̯ŋ/ [ˈheɪ̯ŋ] /ˈhɛ̃ŋ/ [ˈhɛ̃ŋ] en-us-hang.ogg /hæŋ/

Word forms

hang hangs hanging hung hanged no-table-tags glossary hangest hungest hangedst hangeth Hanghang

Etymology

From Middle English hangen, hongen, from a fusion of Old English hōn (“to hang, be hanging”, transitive verb) and hangian (“to hang, cause to hang”, intransitive verb), respectively from the transitive verb Proto-West Germanic *hą̄han and the intransitive verb *hangēn; also probably influenced by Old Norse hengja (“to suspend”) and hanga (“to be suspended”); all from Proto-Germanic *hanhaną and *hangāną, from Proto-Indo-European *ḱenk- (“to waver, be in suspense”). See also Dutch hangen, Low German hangen and hängen, German hängen, Norwegian Bokmål henge, Norwegian Nynorsk henga; also Gothic 𐌷𐌰𐌷𐌰𐌽 (hāhan), Hittite 𒂵𒀀𒀭𒂵 (/⁠kānk-⁠/, “to hang”), Sanskrit शङ्कते (śáṅkate, “is in doubt, hesitates”), Latin cūnctārī (“to delay”).

Synonyms

string up swing take a ride to Tyburn lock up be suspend dangle float hover drop lower suspend hook hook up hang up lynch go to the gallows hang out hang about hang around loiter exhibit show put up bedeck deck decorate freeze handpan

Derived words

behang forhang give a dog a bad name and hang him give someone enough rope and they'll hang themself go hang hangability hangable hang about hang a left hang a leg hang a Louie hang an arse hang a Ralph hang a right hang around hang a shingle hang a uey hang back hang behind hangbird hangboard hang-by hang by a hair hang by a thread hang by the eyelids hangdog hang dog hang, draw and quarter hangee hanger hang fire hang five hang glide hang-glide hang-glider hang glider hang gliding hang heavy hang in hanging hanging ball hanging out of one's arse hanging rice hang in the balance hang in there hang it hangle hang loose hang low hangman hang me hangnail hangnest hang off hang on hang one on hang one's hat hang one's hat on hang one's head hang one's lip
This entry uses open data from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA/GFDL). Word forms are used for search and are not indexed as separate pages.
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