hang (h?ng)v. hung (h?ng), hang·ing, hangs v.tr.1. To fasten from above with no support from below; suspend: hung the hat on a peg.2. To suspend or fasten so as to allow free movement at or about the point of suspension: hang a door.3. past tense and past participle hanged (h?ngd) a. To execute by hanging: They hanged the prisoner at dawn.b. Used to express exasperation or disgust: I’ll be hanged! Hang it all!4. To alter the hem of (a garment) so as to fall evenly at a specified height.5. To furnish, decorate, or appoint by suspending objects around or about: hang a room with curtains.6. To hold or incline downward; let droop: hang one’s head in sorrow.7. Informal To make (a turn in a specific direction): At the next intersection, hang a right.8. a. To attach to a wall: hang wallpaper.b. To display by attaching to a wall or other structure: hung four new paintings in the foyer.9. Informal To give (a nickname or label) to someone.10. To deadlock (a jury) by failing to render a unanimous verdict.11. Baseball To throw (a pitch) in such a manner as to fail to break.12. Computers To cause (a computer system) to halt so that input devices, such as the keyboard or the mouse, do not function.v.intr.1. To be attached from above with no support from below.2. To die as a result of hanging.3. To remain suspended or poised over a place or an object; hover: rain clouds hanging low over the corn fields.4. To attach oneself as a dependent or an impediment; cling.5. To incline downward; droop.6. To depend: Everything hangs on the committee’s decision.7. To pay strict attention: a student who hangs on the professor’s every word.8. To remain unresolved or uncertain: His future hung in the balance.9. To fit the body in loose lines: a dress that hangs well.10. To be on display, as in a gallery.11. Baseball To fail to break or move in the intended way, as a curve ball.12. To be imminent; loom: the threat hanging over us.13. To be or become burdensome: Time hung heavy on my hands.14. Computers To be halted, as a computer system, so that input devices do not function: The power surge caused my computer to hang, so I had to reboot it.15. Slang a. To spend one’s free time in a certain place. Often used with around or out: liked to hang out at the pool hall.b. To pass time idly; loiter. Often used with around or out: spent the evening hanging at home; hung out for an hour before going to the play.c. To keep company; see socially. Often used with around or out: hangs around with kids from a different school.n.1. The way in which something hangs.2. A downward inclination or slope.3. Particular meaning or significance.4. Informal The proper method for doing, using, or handling something: finally got the hang of it.5. A suspension of motion; a slackening.Phrasal Verbs: hang back To be averse; hold back. hang in Informal To persevere: decided to hang in despite his illness. hang off To hold back; be averse. hang on1. To cling tightly to something.2. To continue persistently; persevere: We’ll finish if we can just hang on.3. To keep a telephone connection open.4. To wait for a short period of time. hang together1. To stand united; stick together: “We must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately” (Benjamin Franklin).2. To constitute a coherent totality: diverse plot lines that did not hang together. hang up1. To suspend on a hook or hanger.2. a. To replace (a telephone receiver) on its base or cradle.b. To end a telephone conversation.3. To delay or impede; hinder: Budget problems hung up the project for months.4. To become halted or snagged: The fishing line hung up on a rock.5. Informal To have or cause to have emotional difficulties or inhibitions.Idioms: give/care a hang To be concerned or anxious: I don’t give a hang what you do. hang fire1. To delay: “They are people who hung fire even through the bloody days of the Hungarian Revolution” (Mark Muro).2. To be slow in firing, as a gun. hang in there Informal To persevere despite difficulties; persist: She hung in there despite pressure to resign. hang it up Informal To give up; quit. hang loose Slang To stay calm or relaxed. hang (one’s) hat To settle oneself; take up residence: hung my hat in Chicago. hang on to To hold firmly; keep fast: Hang on to your money. hang (someone) out to dry Informal To leave (someone) in a difficult situation, especially in taking blame for a failure or an act of wrongdoing. hang tough Informal To remain firmly resolved: “We are going to hang tough on this” (Donald T. Regan). let it all hang out Slang 1. To be completely relaxed.2. To be completely candid.[Middle English hongen, from Old English hangian, to be suspended, and from h?n, to hang; see konk- in Indo-European roots.]hang?a·ble adj.Usage Note: Hanged, as a past tense and a past participle of hang, is used in the sense of “to put to death by hanging,” as in Frontier courts hanged many a prisoner after a summary trial. In our 2008 survey, some 71 percent of the Usage Panel objected to hung used in this sense. The Panel’s opposition to this usage has remained strong since balloting began in the 1960s. In all other senses, hung is the preferred form as past tense and past participle, as in I hung my child’s picture above my desk.American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.hang (hæ?) vb, hangs, hanging or hung (h??) 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. (sometimes foll by: over) to be suspended or poised; hover: a pall of smoke hung over the city. 4. (sometimes foll by: over) to be imminent; threaten5. (intr) 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 dead7. (tr) to fasten, fix, or attach in position or at an appropriate angle: to hang a scythe to its handle. 8. (tr) to decorate, furnish, or cover with something suspended or fastened: to hang a wall with tapestry. 9. (tr) to fasten to or suspend from a wall: to hang wallpaper. 10. (Art Terms) 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, etc11. 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. (Cookery) (tr) to suspend (game such as pheasant) so that it becomes slightly decomposed and therefore more tender and tasty14. (Law) (of a jury) to prevent or be prevented from reaching a verdict15. (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. (intr) to pass slowly (esp in the phrase time hangs heavily)17. to be delayed18. (Firearms, Gunnery, Ordnance & Artillery) to be delayed19. to procrastinate. See also fire1620. hang tough See tough10n21. the way in which something hangs22. (usually used with a negative) slang a damn: I don’t care a hang for what you say. 23. get the hang of informal a. to understand the technique of doing somethingb. to perceive the meaning or significance of[Old English hangian; related to Old Norse hanga, Old High German hang?n]Collins English Dictionary ? Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014hang (hæ?) v. hung (esp. for 4,5,20,24 ) hanged, hang?ing, v.t. 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 door. 3. to place in position or fasten so as to allow easy or ready movement. 4. to execute by suspending from a gallows, gibbet, or the like: to hang a convicted murderer. 5. to suspend by the neck until dead: He committed suicide by hanging himself. 6. to furnish or decorate with something suspended: to hang a room with pictures. 7. to fasten into position; fix at a proper angle: to hang a scythe. 8. to fasten or attach (wallpaper, pictures, curtains, etc.) to a wall or the like. 9. a. to exhibit (a painting or group of paintings). b. to put the paintings of (an art exhibition) on the wall of a gallery. 10. to attach or annex as an addition: to hang a rider on a bill. 11. to make (something) dependent on something else: She hung the meaning of her puns on the current political scene. 12. to throw (a baseball pitch) so that it fails to break, as a curve. 13. (used in mild curses and emphatic expressions, often as a euphemism for damn): Well, I’ll be hanged! 14. to keep (a jury) from rendering a verdict, as one juror by refusing to agree with the others. v.i. 15. to be suspended; dangle. 16. to swing freely, as on a hinge. 17. to incline downward, jut out, or lean over or forward. 18. to be suspended by the neck, as from a gallows, and suffer death in this way. 19. to be conditioned or contingent; be dependent: Our future hangs on the outcome of their discussion. 20. to be doubtful or undecided; waver or hesitate. 21. to remain unfinished or undecided; be delayed. 22. to linger, remain, or persist. 23. to float or hover in the air. 24. to be oppressive, burdensome, or tedious: guilt that hangs on one’s conscience. 25. to fit or drape in graceful lines: That coat hangs well in back. 26. a. to be exhibited: Her works hang in this museum. b. to have one’s works on display: Rembrandt hangs in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. 27. Informal. to hang out. 28. hang around or about,Informal. a. to spend time in a certain place or in certain company. b. to linger about; loiter. 29. hang back, to hesitate or be reluctant to move forward or take action. 30. hang in (there), Informal. to persevere or endure. 31. hang on, a. to cling tightly. b. to persevere in doing something. c. to persist unremittingly, as an illness. d. to keep a telephone line open: Hang on, I’ll see if she’s here. e. to wait briefly; keep calm. f. to listen very attentively to: They hung on his every word. 32. hang out, a. to lean out, suspend, or be suspended, as through an opening. b. Informal. to loiter idly; frequent a place. c. Informal. to associate in casual companionship. 33. hang over, a. to remain unfinished or unsettled. b. to menace; overshadow. 34. hang up, a. to suspend, as on a hook. b. to stop or delay the progress of. c. to end a telephone call by breaking the connection. n. 35. the way in which a thing hangs. 36. Informal. the precise manner of doing, using, etc., something; knack. 37. Informal. meaning or significance: to get the hang of a subject. 38. 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 it. Idioms: 1. hang a left (or right), Slang. to make a left (or right) turn, as while driving. 2. hang fire, a. (of a weapon) to be delayed in exploding or firing. b. to be kept in a state of delay. 3. hang it up, Informal. to quit; give up. 4. hang loose, Slang. to remain relaxed or calm. 5. hang one on, Slang. a. to become very drunk. b. to hit (someone). 6. hang together, a. to be loyal to one another; remain united. b. to cohere. c. to be logical or consistent. 7. hang tough, Informal. to remain unyielding or inflexible. [before 900; fusion of 3 verbs: (1) Middle English, Old English h?n to hang (transitive verb), c. Old Saxon, Old High German h?han, Gothic h?han; (2) Middle English hang(i)en, Old English hangian to hang (intransitive verb), c. Old Saxon hangon, Old High German hang?n; (3) Middle English hengen If you hang something somewhere, you place it so that its highest part is supported and the rest is not. When hang has this meaning, its past tense and past participle is hung.To hang a person means to kill them by tying a rope around their neck and taking away the support from under their feet so that they hang in the air. When hang has this meaning, its past tense and past participle is hanged.Hang has several other meanings and is used in some phrasal verbs. For all these other meanings, the past tense and past participle is hung.