HANG (hung)

Pronunciation (US):

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does hang mean? 

• HANG (noun)
  The noun HANG has 3 senses:

1. a special way of doing something

2. the way a garment hangs

3. a gymnastic exercise performed on the rings or horizontal bar or parallel bars when the gymnast's weight is supported by the arms

  Familiarity information: HANG used as a noun is uncommon.

• HANG (verb)
  The verb HANG has 15 senses:

1. be suspended or hanging

2. cause to be hanging or suspended

3. kill by hanging

4. let drop or droop

5. fall or flow in a certain way

6. be menacing, burdensome, or oppressive

7. give heed (to)

8. be suspended or poised

9. hold on tightly or tenaciously

10. be exhibited

11. prevent from reaching a verdict, of a jury

12. decorate or furnish with something suspended

13. be placed in position as by a hinge

14. place in position as by a hinge so as to allow free movement in one direction

15. suspend (meat) in order to get a gamey taste

  Familiarity information: HANG used as a verb is familiar.

 Dictionary entry details 

• HANG (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A special way of doing something

Classified under:

Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents

Synonyms:

bent; hang; knack

Context example:

he couldn't get the hang of it

Hypernyms ("hang" is a kind of...):

endowment; gift; natural endowment; talent (natural abilities or qualities)

Sense 2

Meaning:

The way a garment hangs

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Context example:

he adjusted the hang of his coat

Hypernyms ("hang" is a kind of...):

fit (the manner in which something fits)

Derivation:

hang (fall or flow in a certain way)

Sense 3

Meaning:

A gymnastic exercise performed on the rings or horizontal bar or parallel bars when the gymnast's weight is supported by the arms

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Hypernyms ("hang" is a kind of...):

gymnastic exercise ((gymnastics) an exercise designed to develop and display strength and agility and balance (usually performed with or on some gymnastic apparatus))

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "hang"):

bent hang (a hang performed with the elbows bent)

inverted hang (a hang performed on the rings with the body upside down)

lever hang (a hang performed on the rings with the body stationary in a horizontal position)

reverse hang (a hang with the arms extended in back)

straight hang (a hang performed on the rings or parallel bars with the body erect and the arms at the sides)

• HANG (verb)

Conjugation:

Sense 1

Meaning:

Be suspended or hanging

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Context example:

The flag hung on the wall

Verb group:

hang; hang up (cause to be hanging or suspended)

hang (be exhibited)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "hang"):

beetle; overhang (be suspended over or hang over)

dangle; drop; swing (hang freely)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s
Something is ----ing PP
Somebody ----s PP

Sentence example:

The lights hang from the ceiling

Derivation:

hanging (decoration that is hung (as a tapestry) on a wall or over a window)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Cause to be hanging or suspended

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

hang; hang up

Context example:

Hang that picture on the wall

Hypernyms (to "hang" is one way to...):

fasten; fix; secure (cause to be firmly attached)

Cause:

hang (be suspended or hanging)

Verb group:

hang (be suspended or hanging)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "hang"):

suspend (hang freely)

sling (hang loosely or freely; let swing)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Somebody ----s somebody PP
Somebody ----s something PP

Sentence example:

They hang the lights from the ceiling

Derivation:

hanger (anything from which something can be hung)

hanger (a worker who hangs something)

hanging (decoration that is hung (as a tapestry) on a wall or over a window)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Kill by hanging

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Synonyms:

hang; string up

Context example:

The murderer was hanged on Friday

Hypernyms (to "hang" is one way to...):

execute; put to death (kill as a means of socially sanctioned punishment)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "hang"):

halter (hang with a halter)

gibbet (hang on an execution instrument)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s somebody

Sentence example:

They want to hang the prisoners

Derivation:

hanging (a form of capital punishment; victim is suspended by the neck from a gallows or gibbet until dead)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Let drop or droop

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Context example:

Hang one's head in shame

Hypernyms (to "hang" is one way to...):

drop (let fall to the ground)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sense 5

Meaning:

Fall or flow in a certain way

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

fall; flow; hang

Context example:

Her long black hair flowed down her back

Sentence frame:

Something ----s Adjective/Noun

Derivation:

hang (the way a garment hangs)

Sense 6

Meaning:

Be menacing, burdensome, or oppressive

Classified under:

Verbs of being, having, spatial relations

Context example:

The cloud of suspicion hangs over her

Hypernyms (to "hang" is one way to...):

be (have the quality of being; (copula, used with an adjective or a predicate noun))

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "hang"):

brood; bulk large; hover; loom (hang over, as of something threatening, dark, or menacing)

Sentence frame:

Something is ----ing PP

Sense 7

Meaning:

Give heed (to)

Classified under:

Verbs of seeing, hearing, feeling

Synonyms:

advert; attend; give ear; hang; pay heed

Context example:

They attended to everything he said

Hypernyms (to "hang" is one way to...):

listen (hear with intention)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "hang"):

fixate (pay attention to exclusively and obsessively)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s PP

Sense 8

Meaning:

Be suspended or poised

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Context example:

Heavy fog hung over the valley

Sentence frame:

Something is ----ing PP

Sentence examples:

Some big birds hang in the tree
There hang some big birds in the tree

Derivation:

hanging (the act of suspending something (hanging it from above so it moves freely))

Sense 9

Meaning:

Hold on tightly or tenaciously

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

cling; hang

Context example:

The child clung to his mother's apron

Hypernyms (to "hang" is one way to...):

grasp; hold on (hold firmly)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something
Somebody ----s PP

Sense 10

Meaning:

Be exhibited

Classified under:

Verbs of being, having, spatial relations

Context example:

Picasso hangs in this new wing of the museum

Verb group:

hang (be suspended or hanging)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s
Something is ----ing PP
Somebody ----s PP

Sense 11

Meaning:

Prevent from reaching a verdict, of a jury

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Hypernyms (to "hang" is one way to...):

block; blockade; embarrass; hinder; obstruct; stymie; stymy (hinder or prevent the progress or accomplishment of)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody

Sense 12

Meaning:

Decorate or furnish with something suspended

Classified under:

Verbs of sewing, baking, painting, performing

Context example:

Hang wallpaper

Hypernyms (to "hang" is one way to...):

adorn; beautify; decorate; embellish; grace; ornament (make more attractive by adding ornament, colour, etc.)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

hanging (decoration that is hung (as a tapestry) on a wall or over a window)

Sense 13

Meaning:

Be placed in position as by a hinge

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Context example:

This cabinet door doesn't hang right!

Verb group:

hang (place in position as by a hinge so as to allow free movement in one direction)

Sentence frame:

Something is ----ing PP

Sentence example:

The doors hang

Sense 14

Meaning:

Place in position as by a hinge so as to allow free movement in one direction

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Context example:

hang a door

Hypernyms (to "hang" is one way to...):

fasten; fix; secure (cause to be firmly attached)

Verb group:

hang (be placed in position as by a hinge)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sentence example:

They want to hang the doors

Sense 15

Meaning:

Suspend (meat) in order to get a gamey taste

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Context example:

hang the venison for a few days

Hypernyms (to "hang" is one way to...):

decompose; molder; moulder; rot (break down)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Something ----s something

 Context examples 

The bell-rope hangs from the wire just to the right of my desk.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

You won't go back to your ships and sea; therefore, you'll hang around these pest-holes of cities until your bones are rotten, and then you'll die.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

It is not too much to say that peace or war may hang upon the issue.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

The hats of the men were blue; the little woman's hat was white, and she wore a white gown that hung in pleats from her shoulders.

(The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum)

The thorns soon began to tear his clothes till they all hung in rags about him, and he himself was all scratched and wounded, so that the blood ran down.

(Fairy Tales, by The Brothers Grimm)

I had hung my shaving glass by the window, and was just beginning to shave.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

He was all but naked, a ragged and fire-scorched skin hanging part way down his back, but on his body there was much hair.

(The Call of the Wild, by Jack London)

“Grab hold of something and hang on,” the red-faced man said to me.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

Old Tiffey, for the first time in his life I should think, was sitting on somebody else's stool, and had not hung up his hat.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

A ventilator is made, a cord is hung, and a lady who sleeps in the bed dies.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)