Hang

Pronunciation

• enPR: hăng, IPA: /hæŋ/
• (also) US enPR: hāng, IPA: /heɪŋ/
• Rhymes: -æŋ

A fusion of Old English hōn ("to hang, be hanging") intrans. and hangian ("to hang, cause to hang") trans.; also probably influenced by Old Norse hengja ("suspend") and hanga ("be suspended"); all from Proto-Germanic *hanhaną (compare Dutch hangen, German hängen), from Proto-Indo-European *keng- ("to waver, be in suspense") (compare Gothic 𐌷𐌰𐌷𐌰𐌽, Hittite gang- ("to hang"), Sanskrit (sankate, "wavers"), Latin cunctari ("to delay")) and Albanian çengë ("a hook").

Full definition of hang

Verb

1. (intransitive) To be or remain suspended.
   The lights hung from the ceiling.
2. (intransitive) To float, as if suspended.
   The smoke hung in the room.
3. (transitive) To hold or bear in a suspended or inclined manner or position instead of erect.
   He hung his head in shame.
4. (transitive) To cause (something) to be suspended, as from a hook, hanger, or the like.
   Hang those lights from the ceiling.
5. (transitive, legal) To execute (someone) by suspension from the neck.
• 1963, Margery Allingham, The China Governess Chapter 3, ‘… There's every Staffordshire crime-piece ever made in this cabinet, and that's unique. The Van Hoyer Museum in New York hasn't that very rare second version of Maria Marten's Red Barn over there, nor the little Frederick George Manning—he was the criminal Dickens saw hanged on the roof of the gaol in Horsemonger Lane, by the way—’
6. 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. (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.
9. (transitive) To exhibit (an object) by hanging.
10. (transitive) To apply (wallpaper or drywall to a wall).
    Let's hang this cute animal design in the nursery
11. (transitive) To decorate (something) with hanging objects.
    Let's hang this cute animal in the nursery
12. (intransitive, figuratively) To remain persistently in one's thoughts.
• 1895, H. G. Wells, The Time Machine Chapter XExploring, 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.
13. (intransitive, computing) To stop responding to manual input devices such as keyboard or mouse.
    The computer has hung again. Not even pressing ++ works.
    When I push this button the program hangs.
14. (transitive, computing) To cause (a program or computer) to stop responding.
    The program has a bug that can hang the system.
15. (transitive, chess) To cause (a piece) to become vulnerable to capture.
    If you move there, you'll hang your queen rook.
16. (intransitive, chess) To be vulnerable to capture.
    In this standard opening position White has to be careful because the pawn on e4 hangs.

Synonyms

• (be or remain suspended) be suspended, dangle
• (float as if suspended) float, hover
• (execute (someone) by suspension from the neck) lynch, string up
• (be executed) go to the gallows, swing informal
• (loiter) hang about, hang around, loiter
• (computing: stop responding) freeze, lock up
• (cause (something) to be suspended) suspend
• (hold or bear in a suspended or inclined manner or position instead of erect) drop, lower
• (to place on a hook) hook, hook up
• (exhibit) exhibit, show
• (apply (wallpaper to a wall)) put up
• (decorate (something) with hanging objects) bedeck, deck, decorate
• (computing: cause (a program or computer) to stop responding) freeze, lock up
• (in chess: cause to become vulnerable to capture)
• (in chess: be vulnerable to capture)

Usage notes

Formerly, at least through the 16th century, the past tense of hang was hanged. This form is retained for the legal senses "to be executed by suspension from the neck" and "to execute by suspension from the neck" and hung for all other meanings. However, this rule is not uniformly understood or observed. Hung is sometimes substituted for hanged, which would be considered inappropriate in legal or other formal writing (for the applicable senses only) or, more rarely, vice versa. See also the etymology – in Old English there were separate words for transitive (whence "hanged") and intransitive (whence "hung").

"Hanged" may sometimes be used as the simple past tense, but "hung" could be taken as the past participle of "hang", analogous to sang and sung, though there is no historical rationale for this distinction.

Derived terms

Noun

1. The way in which something hangs.''This skirt has a nice hang.
2. (figuratively) A grip, understanding''He got the hang of it after only two demonstrations
3. (computing) An instance of ceasing to respond to input devices.''We sometimes get system hangs.
4. A sharp or steep declivity or slope.

Derived terms

• get the hang of

From hang sangwich, Irish colloquial pronunciation of ham sandwich.

Noun

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

Noun

1. Alternative spelling of Hang----