v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Hanged i>or Hung p. pr. & vb. n. Hanging. The use of hanged is preferable to that of hung, when reference is had to death or execution by suspension, and it is also more common. ] [ OE. hangen, hongien, v. t. & i., AS. hangian, v. i., fr. hōn, v. t. (imp. heng, p. p. hongen); akin to OS. hangōn, v. i., D. hangen, v. t. & i., G. hangen, v. i, hängen, v. t., Icel. hanga, v. i., Goth. hāhan, v. t. (imp. haíhah), hāhan, v. i. (imp. hahaida), and perh. to L. cunctari to delay. √37. ] 1. To suspend; to fasten to some elevated point without support from below; -- often used with up or out; as, to hang a coat on a hook; to hang up a sign; to hang out a banner. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To fasten in a manner which will allow of free motion upon the point or points of suspension; -- said of a pendulum, a swing, a door, gate, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To fit properly, as at a proper angle (a part of an implement that is swung in using), as a scythe to its snath, or an ax to its helve. [ U. S. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

4. To put to death by suspending by the neck; -- a form of capital punishment; as, to hang a murderer. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. To cover, decorate, or furnish by hanging pictures, trophies, drapery, and the like, or by covering with paper hangings; -- said of a wall, a room, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

Hung be the heavens with black. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

And hung thy holy roofs with savage spoils. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. To paste, as paper hangings, on the walls of a room. [ 1913 Webster ]

7. To hold or bear in a suspended or inclined manner or position instead of erect; to droop; as, he hung his head in shame. [ 1913 Webster ]

Cowslips wan that hang the pensive head. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

8. To prevent from reaching a decision, esp. by refusing to join in a verdict that must be unanimous; as, one obstinate juror can hang a jury. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

To hang down, to let fall below the proper position; to bend down; to decline; as, to hang down the head, or, elliptically, to hang the head. --
To hang fire (Mil.), to be slow in communicating fire through the vent to the charge; as, the gun hangs fire; hence, to hesitate, to hold back as if in suspense. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. 1. To be suspended or fastened to some elevated point without support from below; to dangle; to float; to rest; to remain; to stay. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To be fastened in such a manner as to allow of free motion on the point or points of suspension. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To die or be put to death by suspension from the neck. [ R. ] “Sir Balaam hangs.” Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. To hold for support; to depend; to cling; -- usually with on or upon; as, this question hangs on a single point. “Two infants hanging on her neck.” Peacham. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. To be, or be like, a suspended weight. [ 1913 Webster ]

Life hangs upon me, and becomes a burden. Addison. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. To hover; to impend; to appear threateningly; -- usually with over; as, evils hang over the country. [ 1913 Webster ]

7. To lean or incline; to incline downward. [ 1913 Webster ]

To decide which way hung the victory. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

His neck obliquely o'er his shoulder hung. Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

8. To slope down; as, hanging grounds. [ 1913 Webster ]

9. To be undetermined or uncertain; to be in suspense; to linger; to be delayed. [ 1913 Webster ]

A noble stroke he lifted high,
Which hung not, but so swift with tempest fell
On the proud crest of Satan. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

10. (Cricket, Tennis, etc.) Of a ball: To rebound unexpectedly or unusually slowly, due to backward spin on the ball or imperfections of ground. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

11. (Baseball) to fail to curve, break, or drop as intended; -- said of pitches, such as curve balls or sliders. [ PJC ]

12. (Computers) to cease to operate normally and remain suspended in some state without performing useful work; -- said of computer programs, computers, or individual processes within a program; as, when using Windows 3.1, my system would hang and need rebooting several times a day. this situation could be caused by bugs within an operating system or within a program, or incompatibility between programs or between programs and the hardware. [ PJC ]

To hang around, to loiter idly about. --
To hang back, to hesitate; to falter; to be reluctant. “If any one among you hangs back.” Jowett (Thucyd.). --
To hang by the eyelids. (a) To hang by a very slight hold or tenure. (b) To be in an unfinished condition; to be left incomplete. --
To hang in doubt, to be in suspense. --
To hang on (with the emphasis on the preposition), to keep hold; to hold fast; to stick; to be persistent, as a disease. --
To hang on the lips
To hang on the words, etc., to be charmed by eloquence. --
To hang out. (a) To be hung out so as to be displayed; to project. (b) To be unyielding; as, the juryman hangs out against an agreement; to hold out. [ Colloq. ] (c) to loiter or lounge around a particular place; as, teenageers tend to hang out at the mall these days. --
To hang over. (a) To project at the top. (b) To impend over. --
To hang to, to cling. --
To hang together. (a) To remain united; to stand by one another. “We are all of a piece; we hang together.” Dryden. (b) To be self-consistent; as, the story does not hang together. [ Colloq. ] --
To hang upon. (a) To regard with passionate affection. (b) (Mil.) To hover around; as, to hang upon the flanks of a retreating enemy. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. The manner in which one part or thing hangs upon, or is connected with, another; as, the hang of a scythe. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Connection; arrangement; plan; as, the hang of a discourse. [ Colloq. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A sharp or steep declivity or slope. [ Colloq. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

To get the hang of, to learn the method or arrangement of; hence, to become accustomed to. [ Colloq. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. a large building at an airport where aircraft can be stored and maintained.
Syn. -- airdock, repair shed. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. (Zool.) The Baltimore oriole (Icterus galbula); -- so called because its nest is suspended from the limb of a tree. See Baltimore oriole. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Hang-bies A dependent; a hanger-on; -- so called in contempt. B. Jonson. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A base, degraded person; a sneak; a gallows bird. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Low; sneaking; ashamed. [ 1913 Webster ]

The poor colonel went out of the room with a hangdog look. Thackeray. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. One who hangs, or causes to be hanged; a hangman. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. That by which a thing is suspended. Especially: (a) A strap hung to the girdle, by which a dagger or sword is suspended. (b) (Mach.) A part that suspends a journal box in which shafting runs. See Illust. of Countershaft. (c) A bridle iron. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. That which hangs or is suspended, as a sword worn at the side; especially, in the 18th century, a short, curved sword. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. A steep, wooded declivity. [ Eng. ] Gilbert White. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Hangers-on One who hangs on, or sticks to, a person, place, or service; a dependent; one who adheres to others' society longer than he is wanted. Goldsmith. [ 1913 Webster ]