Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A method of execution whereby the person is dropped and suspended from a rope around the neck, resulting in death from severing of the spinal cord, strangulation, or other causes.
  • noun Something, such as a tapestry, that is hung.
  • noun A descending slope or an inclination.
  • adjective Situated, as on a steep slope, so as to appear to hang down.
  • adjective Projecting downward or outward; overhanging.
  • adjective Suited for holding something that hangs.
  • adjective Baseball Being a pitch that fails to break as intended.
  • adjective Deserving death by hanging.
  • adjective Disposed to inflict severe sentences, such as death by hanging.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun The act of suspending, or the state of being suspended.
  • noun Specifically Suspension by the neck; particularly, capital punishment by suspension with strangulation, by means of a rope with a noose at one end which is placed about the neck, the other end being attached to a beam.
  • noun That which hangs or is pendent.
  • noun plural The material with which the walls of a room are draped or covered, including even paper which is pasted upon them, as in the term paper-hangings. See arras, tapestry, and curtain.
  • noun plural The sloping side of a hill.
  • Requiring or deserving punishment by the halter.
  • Suggesting or foreboding death by the halter.
  • Unfixed; floating.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun The act of suspending anything; the state of being suspended.
  • noun Death by suspension; execution by a halter.
  • noun 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.
  • adjective Requiring, deserving, or foreboding death by the halter.
  • adjective Suspended from above; pendent.
  • adjective Adapted for sustaining a hanging object.
  • adjective a compass suspended so that the card may be read from beneath.
  • adjective a garden sustained at an artificial elevation by any means, as by the terraces at Babylon.
  • adjective See under Indentation.
  • adjective (Arch.) that rail of a door or casement to which hinges are attached.
  • adjective (Mining) the overhanging side of an inclined or hading vein.
  • adjective Loose, flowing sleeves.
  • adjective (Arch.) That upright of a window frame to which casements are hinged, or in which the pulleys for sash windows are fastened.
  • adjective (Mining) the upper wall of inclined vein, or that which hangs over the miner's head when working in the vein.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • verb Present participle of hang.
  • adjective Suspended.
  • noun uncountable The act of hanging a person (or oneself) by the neck in order to execute that person (or to commit suicide).
  • noun countable A public event at which a person is hanged.
  • noun countable Anything wide, high and rather thin that is hung as a decorative element (such as curtains, gobelins, wallpaper or posters).
  • noun uncountable The way in which hangings (decorations) are arranged.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a form of capital punishment; victim is suspended by the neck from a gallows or gibbet until dead
  • noun decoration that is hung (as a tapestry) on a wall or over a window
  • noun the act of suspending something (hanging it from above so it moves freely)

Etymologies

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Examples

  • Papa left the name hanging near the front door as a “welcome” sign.

    Amaryllis in Blueberry Christina Meldrum 2011

  • Papa left the name hanging near the front door as a “welcome” sign.

    Amaryllis in Blueberry Christina Meldrum 2011

  • Papa left the name hanging near the front door as a “welcome” sign.

    Amaryllis in Blueberry Christina Meldrum 2011

  • All it needed was “Exhibit A” penned in blue ink on a tag hanging from it by a white string.

    Hell’s Gate Stephen Frey 2009

  • All it needed was “Exhibit A” penned in blue ink on a tag hanging from it by a white string.

    Hell’s Gate Stephen Frey 2009

  • A giant Jeff Koons puppy might be cute and bring smiles to the faces of thousands of people, but a giant train hanging from a crane probably won't do much for people .. other than confuse them and make them think that all art sucks.

    February 2007 2007

  • All it needed was “Exhibit A” penned in blue ink on a tag hanging from it by a white string.

    Hell’s Gate Stephen Frey 2009

  • Well, she said, the word hanging in the air between us.

    Kate Morton Ebook Collection Kate Morton 2008

  • Well, she said, the word hanging in the air between us.

    The House at Riverton Kate Morton 2008

  • My hand found a pink ribbon tied around the stem, then a tag hanging from the ribbon.

    The Boys Next Door Jennifer Echols 2007

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