English
hang
Pronunciation Verb

hang (hangs, present participle hanging; past and past participle hung)

  1. (intransitive) To be or remain suspended.
    The lights hung from the ceiling.
    • 1913, Mrs. [Marie] Belloc Lowndes, chapter II, in The Lodger, London: Methuen, OCLC 7780546 ↗; republished in Novels of Mystery: The Lodger; The Story of Ivy; What Really Happened, New York, N.Y.: Longmans, Green and Co., […], [1933], OCLC 2666860 ↗, page 0111 ↗:
      On the dark-green walls hung a series of eight engravings, portraits of early Victorian belles, clad in lace and tarletan ball dresses, clipped from an old Book of Beauty. Mrs. Bunting was very fond of these pictures; she thought they gave the drawing-room a note of elegance and refinement.
  2. (intransitive) To float, as if suspended.
    The smoke hung in the room.
  3. (intransitive, of a ball in cricket, tennis, etc.) To rebound unexpectedly or unusually slowly, due to backward spin on the ball or imperfections of the ground.
  4. (transitive) To hold or bear in a suspended or inclined manner or position instead of erect.
    He hung his head in shame.
  5. (transitive) To cause (something) to be suspended, as from a hook, hanger, hinges or the like.
    Hang those lights from the ceiling.
    to hang a door
    1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), imprinted at London: By Robert Barker, […], OCLC 964384981 ↗, Luke 17:1-2 ↗:
    It is impossible but that offences will come: but woe unto him, through whom they come! It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.
  6. (transitive, legal) To execute (someone) by suspension from the neck.
    The culprits were hanged from the nearest tree.
  7. (intransitive, legal) 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.
    You will hang for this, my friend.
  8. (transitive, informal) (used in maledictions) To damn.
  9. (intransitive, informal) To loiter, hang around, to spend time idly.
    Are you busy, or can you hang with me?  I didn't see anything, officer. I was just hanging.
  10. (transitive) To exhibit (an object) by hanging.
  11. (transitive) To apply (wallpaper or drywall to a wall).
    Let's hang this cute animal design in the nursery.
  12. (transitive) To decorate (something) with hanging objects.
    Let's hang the nursery with some new wallpaper.
  13. (intransitive, figuratively) To remain persistently in one's thoughts.
    • 1895, H. G. Wells, The Time Machine, Ch.X:
      Exploring, I found another short gallery running transversely to the first. This appeared to be devoted to minerals, and the sight of a block of sulphur set my mind running on gunpowder. But I could find no saltpeter; indeed no nitrates of any kind. Doubtless they had deliquesced ages ago. Yet the sulphur hung in my mind and set up a train of thinking.
  14. (transitive) To prevent from reaching a decision, especially by refusing to join in a verdict that must be unanimous.
    One obstinate juror can hang a jury.
  15. (intransitive, computing) To stop responding to manual input devices such as keyboard and mouse.
    The computer has hung again. Not even pressing ++ works.  When I push this button the program hangs.
  16. (transitive, computing) To cause (a program or computer) to stop responding.
    The program has a bug that can hang the system.
  17. (transitive, chess) To cause (a piece) to become vulnerable to capture.
    If you move there, you'll hang your rook.
  18. (intransitive, chess) To be vulnerable to capture.
    In this standard opening position White has to be careful because the pawn on e4 hangs.
  19. (transitive, baseball, slang) Of a pitcher, to throw a hittable off-speed pitch.
    • 2010, Peter Golenbock, Dynasty: The New York Yankees, 1949-1964, ISBN 0486477363, page 409 ↗
      McDougald then singled, and with a 3-2 count on Ellie Howard who was playing first base, Spahn hung a curve ball and Howard hit it over the wire fence in left field for a 4-4 tie.
Synonyms Translations Translations Translations Translations Translations Translations Translations Translations Translations Translations Translations Translations
  • French: se bloquer, se figer, ramer (slang)
  • Russian: зависа́ть
  • Spanish: colgarse
Translations Translations Translations Noun

hang (plural hangs)

  1. The way in which something hangs.
    This skirt has a nice hang.
  2. (colloquial, figuratively) A grip, understanding.
    He got the hang of it after only two demonstrations.
    • 1911, Alexander MacDonald, The Invisible Island: A Story of the Far North of Queensland (page 105)
      “I don't see the hang of so much talky-talky,” broke in Uncle Sam. “We've heard all that can be said about things, […]
  3. (computing) An instance of ceasing to respond to input.
    We sometimes get system hangs.
  4. A sharp or steep declivity or slope.
  5. A mass of hanging material.
    • 2014, Matthew Jobin, The Nethergrim (volume 1)
      They advanced in a crouch, dropping to their knees every few yards to pass under a hang of rock.
  6. (colloquial) The smallest amount of concern or consideration; a damn.
    I don't give a hang.
    They don't seem to care a hang about the consequences.
Noun

hang (uncountable)

  1. (Ireland, informal, derogatory) Cheap processed ham (cured pork), often made specially for sandwiches.
Noun

hang

  1. Alternative spelling of Hang
Hang
Pronunciation
  • (British) IPA: /haŋ/
Noun

hang (plural Hanghang)

  1. Name and trademark of a musical instrument invented and built by PANArt Hangbau AG.


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