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[hang] /hæŋ/

verb (used with object), hung or especially for 4, 5, 20, hanged; hanging.
1.
to fasten or attach (a thing) so that it is supported only from above or at a point near its own top; suspend.
2.
to attach or suspend so as to allow free movement:
to hang a pendulum.
3.
to place in position or fasten so as to allow easy or ready movement.
4.
to put to death by suspending by the neck from a gallows, gibbet, yardarm, or the like.
5.
to suspend (oneself) by the neck until dead:
He hanged himself from a beam in the attic.
6.
to fasten to a cross; crucify.
7.
to furnish or decorate with something suspended:
to hang a room with pictures.
8.
to fasten into position; fix at a proper angle:
to hang a scythe.
9.
to fasten or attach (wallpaper, pictures, etc.) to a wall:
to hang pictures in a room.
10.
to suspend (something) in front of anything:
to hang curtains on a window.
11.
Fine Arts.

12.
to attach or annex as an addition:
to hang a rider on a bill.
13.
to attach (a door or the like) to its frame by means of hinges.
14.
to make (an idea, form, etc.) dependent on a situation, structure, concept, or the like, usually derived from another source:
He hung the meaning of his puns on the current political scene.
15.
(of a juror) to keep (a jury) from rendering a verdict by refusing to agree with the others.
16.
Informal. to cause (a nickname, epithet, etc.) to become associated with a person:
Friends hung that nickname on him.
17.
Slang. to hit with (a fist, blow, punch, etc.):
He hung a left on his opponent’s jaw.
18.
Baseball. to throw (a pitch) so that it fails to break, as a curve.
19.
Nautical. to steady (a boat) in one place against a wind or current by thrusting a pole or the like into the bottom under the boat and allowing the wind or current to push the boat side-on against the pole.
20.
(used in mild curses and emphatic expressions, often as a euphemism for damn):
I’ll be hanged if I do. Hang it all!
verb (used without object), hung or especially for 24, hanged; hanging.
21.
to be suspended; dangle.
22.
to swing freely, as on a hinge.
23.
to incline downward, jut out, or lean over or forward:
The tree hung over the edge of the lake.
24.
to be suspended by the neck, as from a gallows, and suffer death in this way.
25.
to be crucified.
26.
to be conditioned or contingent; be dependent:
His future hangs on the outcome of their discussion.
27.
to be doubtful or undecided; waver or hesitate:
He hung between staying and going.
28.
to remain unfinished or undecided; be delayed:
Let that matter hang until our next meeting.
29.
to linger, remain, or persist:
He hung by her side, unwilling to leave.
30.
to float or hover in the air:
Fog hung over the city.
31.
to be oppressive, burdensome, or tedious:
guilt that hangs on one’s conscience.
32.
to remain in attention or consideration (often followed by on or upon):
They hung on his every word.
33.
to fit or drape in graceful lines:
That coat hangs well in back.
34.
Fine Arts.

35.
Informal. to hang out.
noun
36.
the way in which a thing hangs.
37.
Informal. the precise manner of doing, using, etc., something; knack:
to get the hang of a tool.
38.
Informal. meaning or thought:
to get the hang of a subject.
39.
Nautical.

40.
the least degree of care, concern, etc. (used in mild curses and emphatic expressions as a euphemism for damn):
He doesn’t give a hang about those things.
Verb phrases
41.
hang around/about, Informal.

42.
hang back,

43.
hang in, Slang. to persevere:
She has managed to hang in despite years of bad luck.
Also, hang in there.
44.
hang on,

45.
hang out,

46.
hang over,

47.
hang up,

Idioms
48.
hang a left / right, Slang. to make a left (or right) turn, as while driving an automobile:
Hang a right at the next corner.
49.
hang five, to ride a surfboard with the weight of the body forward and the toes of the forward foot curled over the front edge of the surfboard.
50.
hang in the balance, to be in a precarious state or condition:
The wounded man’s life hung in the balance.
51.
hang it up, Informal. to quit, resign, give up, etc.:
The chief engineer is hanging it up after 40 years with the company.
52.
hang loose, Slang. to remain relaxed or calm:
Try to hang loose and don’t let it bother you.
53.
hang one on, Slang.

54.
hang one’s head. (def 66).
55.
hang ten, to ride a surfboard with the weight of the body as far forward as possible and the toes of both feet curled over the front edge of the surfboard.
56.
hang together,

57.
hang tough, Slang. to remain unyielding, stubborn, or inflexible:
He’s hanging tough and won’t change his mind.
58.
let it all hang out, Slang.

[loos] /lus/
adjective, looser, loosest.
1.
free or released from fastening or attachment:
a loose end.
2.
free from anything that binds or restrains; unfettered:
loose cats prowling around in alleyways at night.
3.
uncombined, as a chemical element.
4.
not bound together:
to wear one’s hair loose.
5.
not put up in a package or other container:
loose mushrooms.
6.
available for disposal; unused; unappropriated:
loose funds.
7.
lacking in reticence or power of restraint:
a loose tongue.
8.
lax, as the bowels.
9.
lacking moral restraint or integrity; notorious for his loose character.
10.
sexually promiscuous or immoral; unchaste.
11.
not firm, taut, or rigid:
a loose tooth; a loose rein.
12.
relaxed or limber in nature:
He runs with a loose, open stride.
13.
not fitting closely or tightly:
a loose sweater.
14.
not close or compact in structure or arrangement; having spaces between the parts; open:
a loose weave.
15.
having few restraining factors between associated constituents and allowing ample freedom for independent action:
a loose federation of city-states.
16.
not cohering:
loose sand.
17.
not strict, exact, or precise:
a loose interpretation of the law.
18.
Sports.

adverb
19.
in a loose manner; loosely (usually used in combination):
loose-flowing.
verb (used with object), loosed, loosing.
20.
to let loose; free from bonds or restraint.
21.
to release, as from constraint, obligation, or penalty.
22.
Chiefly Nautical. to set free from fastening or attachment:
to loose a boat from its moorings.
23.
to unfasten, undo, or untie, as a bond, fetter, or knot.
24.
to shoot; discharge; let fly:
to loose missiles at the invaders.
25.
to make less tight; slacken or relax.
26.
to render less firmly fixed; lessen an attachment; loosen.
verb (used without object), loosed, loosing.
27.
to let go a hold.
28.
to hoist anchor; get under way.
29.
to shoot or let fly an arrow, bullet, etc. (often followed by off):
to loose off at a flock of ducks.
30.
Obsolete. to become loose; loosen.
Idioms
31.
break loose, to free oneself; escape:
The convicts broke loose.
32.
cast loose,

33.
cut loose,

34.
hang / stay loose, Slang. to remain relaxed and unperturbed.
35.
let loose,

36.
on the loose,

37.
turn loose, to release or free, as from confinement:
The teacher turned the children loose after the class.
/hæŋ/
verb hangs, hanging, hung (hʌŋ)
1.
to fasten or be fastened from above, esp by a cord, chain, etc; suspend: the picture hung on the wall, to hang laundry
2.
to place or be placed in position as by a hinge so as to allow free movement around or at the place of suspension: to hang a door
3.
(intransitive) sometimes foll by over. to be suspended or poised; hover: a pall of smoke hung over the city
4.
(intransitive) sometimes foll by over. to be imminent; threaten
5.
(intransitive) to be or remain doubtful or unresolved (esp in the phrase hang in the balance)
6.
(past tense and past participle hanged) to suspend or be suspended by the neck until dead
7.
(transitive) to fasten, fix, or attach in position or at an appropriate angle: to hang a scythe to its handle
8.
(transitive) to decorate, furnish, or cover with something suspended or fastened: to hang a wall with tapestry
9.
(transitive) to fasten to or suspend from a wall: to hang wallpaper
10.
to exhibit (a picture or pictures) by (a particular painter, printmaker, etc) or (of a picture or a painter, etc) to be exhibited in an art gallery, etc
11.
to fall or droop or allow to fall or droop: to hang one’s head in shame
12.
(of cloth, clothing, etc) to drape, fall, or flow, esp in a specified manner: her skirt hangs well
13.
(transitive) to suspend (game such as pheasant) so that it becomes slightly decomposed and therefore more tender and tasty
14.
(of a jury) to prevent or be prevented from reaching a verdict
15.
(past tense and past participle hanged) (slang) to damn or be damned: used in mild curses or interjections: I’ll be hanged before I’ll go out in that storm
16.
(intransitive) to pass slowly (esp in the phrase time hangs heavily)
17.
hang fire

18.
hang tough, See tough (sense 10)
noun
19.
the way in which something hangs
20.
(usually used with a negative) (slang) a damn: I don’t care a hang for what you say
21.
(informal) get the hang of

/luːs/
adjective
1.
free or released from confinement or restraint
2.
not close, compact, or tight in structure or arrangement
3.
not fitted or fitting closely: loose clothing is cooler
4.
not bundled, packaged, fastened, or put in a container: loose nails
5.
inexact; imprecise: a loose translation
6.
(of funds, cash, etc) not allocated or locked away; readily available
7.

8.
lacking a sense of responsibility or propriety: loose talk
9.

10.
(of a dye or dyed article) fading as a result of washing; not fast
11.
(informal, mainly US & Canadian) very relaxed; easy
noun
12.
(rugby) the loose, the part of play when the forwards close round the ball in a ruck or loose scrum See scrum
13.
on the loose

adverb
14.

15.
(informal, mainly US) hang loose, to behave in a relaxed, easy fashion
verb
16.
(transitive) to set free or release, as from confinement, restraint, or obligation
17.
(transitive) to unfasten or untie
18.
to make or become less strict, tight, firmly attached, compact, etc
19.
when intr, often foll by off. to let fly (a bullet, arrow, or other missile)
adj.

early 13c., “not securely fixed;” c.1300, “unbound,” from Old Norse lauss “loose, free, vacant, dissolute,” cognate with Old English leas “devoid of, false, feigned, incorrect,” from Proto-Germanic *lausaz (cf. Danish løs “loose, untied,” Swedish lös “loose, movable, detached,” Middle Dutch, German los “loose, free,” Gothic laus “empty, vain”), from PIE *leu- “to loosen, divide, cut apart” (see lose). Meaning “not clinging, slack” is mid-15c. Meaning “not bundled” is late 15c. Sense of “unchaste, immoral” is recorded from late 15c. Meaning “at liberty, free from obligation” is 1550s. Sense of “rambling, disconnected” is from 1680s. Figurative sense of loose cannon was in use by 1896, probably from celebrated image in a popular story by Hugo:

You can reason with a bull dog, astonish a bull, fascinate a boa, frighten a tiger, soften a lion; no resource with such a monster as a loose cannon. You cannot kill it, it is dead; and at the same time it lives. It lives with a sinister life which comes from the infinite. It is moved by the ship, which is moved by the sea, which is moved by the wind. This exterminator is a plaything. [Victor Hugo, “Ninety Three”]

Loose end in reference to something unfinished, undecided, unguarded is from 1540s; to be at loose ends is from 1807. Phrase on the loose “free, unrestrained” is from 1749 (upon the loose).

v.

early 13c, “to set free,” from loose (adj.). Meaning “to undo, untie, unfasten” is 14c. Related: Loosed; loosing.
v.

a fusion of Old English hon “suspend” (transitive, class VII strong verb; past tense heng, past participle hangen), and Old English hangian (weak, intransitive, past tense hangode) “be suspended;” also probably influenced by Old Norse hengja “suspend,” and hanga “be suspended.” All from Proto-Germanic *khang- (cf. Old Frisian hangia, Dutch hangen, German hängen), from PIE *kank- “to hang” (cf. Gothic hahan, Hittite gang- “to hang,” Sanskrit sankate “wavers,” Latin cunctari “to delay;” see also second element in Stonehenge). As a method of execution, in late Old English (but originally specifically of crucifixion).

Hung emerged as past participle 16c. in northern England dialect, and hanged endured only in legal language (which tends to be conservative) and metaphors extended from it (I’ll be hanged). Teen slang sense of “spend time” first recorded 1951; hang around “idle, loiter” is from 1830, and hang out (v.) is from 1811. Hang fire (1781) was originally used of guns that were slow in communicating the fire through the vent to the charge. To let it all hang out “be relaxed and uninhibited” is from 1967.
n.

late 15c., “a sling,” from hang (v.). Meaning “a curtain” is from c.1500; that of “the way cloth hangs” is from 1797. To get the hang of (something) “become capable” is from 1834, American English. Perhaps originally in reference to a certain tool or feat, but, if so, its origin has been forgotten. It doesn’t seem to have been originally associated with drapery or any other special use of hang.

‘To get the hang of a thing,’ is to get the knack, or habitual facility of doing it well. A low expression frequently heard among us. In the Craven Dialect of England is the word hank, a habit; from which this word hang may perhaps be derived. [John Russell Bartlett, “Dictionary of Americanisms,” New York, 1848]

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adjective

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