string

English

Etymology

From Middle English string, streng, strynge, from Old English strenġ, from Proto-West Germanic *strangi, from Proto-Germanic *strangiz (“string”), from Proto-Indo-European *strengʰ- (“rope, cord, strand; to tighten”).

Cognate with Scots string (“string”), Dutch streng (“cord, strand”), Low German strenge (“strand, cord, rope”), German Strang (“strand, cord, rope”), Danish streng (“string”), Swedish sträng (“string, cord, wire”), Icelandic strengur (“string”), Latvian stringt (“to be tight, wither”), Latin stringō (“I tighten”), Ancient Greek στραγγαλόομαι (strangalóomai, “to strangle”), from στραγγάλη (strangálē, “halter”), Ancient Greek στραγγός (strangós, “tied together, entangled, twisted”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation, General American) IPA^(key): /stɹɪŋ/

• Audio (GA)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɪŋ
• Hyphenation: string

Noun

string (countable and uncountable, plural strings)

1. (countable) A long, thin and flexible structure made from threads twisted together.

   Synonyms: cord, rope, line, thread; see also Thesaurus:string

   • 1700, Matthew Prior, Carmen Seculare. for the Year 1700

     Round Ormond's knee thou tiest the mystic string.

     (countable) A thread

   • Thread definition

     A long, thin and flexible form of material, generally with a round cross-section, used in sewing, weaving or in the construction of string. (1 of 9 thread definitions)

   • Cord definition

     A long, thin, flexible length of twisted yarns (strands) of fiber (a rope, for example). (1 of 8 cord definitions)

   • Rope definition

     Thick strings, yarn, monofilaments, metal wires, or strands of other cordage that are twisted together to form a stronger line. (1 of 16 rope definitions)

   • Line definition

     A path through two or more points (compare ‘segment’); a continuous mark, including as made by a pen; any path, curved or straight. (1 of 58 line definitions)
2. (uncountable) Such a structure considered as a substance.

   Synonyms: cord, rope, twine

   • Twine definition

     A twist; a convolution. (1 of 4 twine definitions)
3. (countable) A thread
4. (countable) Any similar long, thin and flexible object.
   1. (music) A segment of wire (typically made of plastic or metal) or other material used as vibrating element on a musical instrument.

      a violinstring

      a bowstring

   2. (sports) A length of nylon or other material on the head of a racquet.

   • Music definition

     A series of sounds organized in time, usually employing some combination of harmony, melody, rhythm, tempo, etc., to convey a mood. (1 of 7 music definitions)

   • Wire definition

     Metal formed into a thin, even thread, now usually by being drawn through a hole in a steel die. (1 of 16 wire definitions)

   • Musical Instrument definition

     A device, object, contrivance or machine used to produce musical notes or sounds.

   • Bowstring definition

     The string of an archer's bow. (1 of 2 bowstring definitions)

   • Sports definition

     plural of sport

   • Nylon definition

     Originally, the DuPont company trade name for polyamide, a copolymer whose molecules consist of alternating diamine and dicarboxylic acid monomers bonded together; now generically used for this type of polymer. (1 of 3 nylon definitions)

   • Head definition

     The part of the body of an animal or human which contains the brain, mouth, and main sense organs. (1 of 68 head definitions)

   • Racquet definition

     Alternative form of racket (“implement with a handle connected to a round frame”)
5. A thread or cord on which a number of objects or parts are strung or arranged in close and orderly succession; hence, a line or series of things arranged on a thread, or as if so arranged.

   a string of shells or beads

   a string of sausages

   • 1776, Edward Gibbon, The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, volumes (please specify |volume=I to VI), London: […] W[illiam] Strahan; and T[homas] Cadell, […], →OCLC:

     a string of islands

   • Parts definition

     plural of part

   • Hence definition

     From here, from this place, away. (1 of 4 hence definitions)

   • Islands definition

     plural of island
6. (countable) A cohesive substance taking the form of a string.

   The string of spittle dangling from his chin was most unattractive

7. (countable) A series of items or events.

   Synonyms: sequence, series

   • 2012, Christoper Zara, Tortured Artists: From Picasso and Monroe to Warhol and Winehouse, the Twisted Secrets of the World's Most Creative Minds, part 1, chapter 1, 27:

     In 1933, disgusted and discouraged after a string of commercial failures, Clara quit the film business forever. She was twenty-six.

   a string of successes

   • Sequence definition

     A set of things next to each other in a set order; a series (1 of 9 sequence definitions)

   • Series definition

     A number of things that follow on one after the other or are connected one after the other. (1 of 9 series definitions)
8. (countable) The members of a sports team or squad regarded as most likely to achieve success. (Perhaps metaphorical as the "strings" that hold the squad together.) Often first string, second string etc.
9. (countable) In various games and competitions, a certain number of turns at play, of rounds, etc.
10. (collective) A drove of horses, or a group of racehorses kept by one owner or at one stable.

    • Drove definition

      A cattle drive or the herd being driven by it; thus, a number of cattle driven to market or new pastures. (1 of 7 drove definitions)

    • Horse definition

      A hoofed mammal, Equus ferus caballus, often used throughout history for riding and draft work. (1 of 23 horse definitions)

    • Racehorse definition

      A horse that competes in races.

    • Stable definition

      A building, wing or dependency set apart and adapted for lodging and feeding (and training) ungulates, especially horses. (1 of 7 stable definitions)
12. (countable, programming) An ordered sequence of text characters stored consecutively in memory and capable of being processed as a single entity.

    • Programming definition

      The designing, scheduling or planning of a radio or television program/programme. (1 of 6 programming definitions)

    • Text definition

      A writing consisting of multiple glyphs, characters, symbols or sentences. (1 of 7 text definitions)

    • Character definition

      A being involved in the action of a story. (1 of 16 character definitions)

    • Memory definition

      The ability of the brain to record information or impressions with the facility of recalling them later at will. (1 of 8 memory definitions)
13. (music, metonymically, countable) A stringed instrument.

    • Stringed Instrument definition

      Any musical instrument in which taut strings are plucked, bowed or struck in order to produce a sound.
14. (music, usually in the plural) The stringed instruments as a section of an orchestra, especially those played by a bow, or the persons playing those instruments.

    Synonym: string section

15. (figurative, in the plural) The conditions and limitations in a contract collectively.

    Synonyms: conditions, provisions

    no strings attached

    • 2022 December 14, Mel Holley, “Network News: Strikes go on as RMT rejects RDG's "detrimental" offer”, in RAIL, number 972, page 8:

      But he added: "The RDG offer contains more strings than a harp, including some which have never previously been discussed. It also omits significant points that had previously been negotiated."

    • Conditions definition

      plural of condition.

    • Provisions definition

      plural of provision

    • No Strings Attached definition

      Characterized by an absence of conditions or obligations.
16. (countable, physics) The main object of study in string theory, a branch of theoretical physics.

    • Physics definition

      The branch of science concerned with the study of the properties and interactions of space, time, matter and energy. (1 of 2 physics definitions)

    • Object definition

      A thing that has physical existence but is not alive. (1 of 9 object definitions)

    • String Theory definition

      A candidate unified theory of all physical forces and particles; a theory which suggests that subatomic particles are one-dimensional strings rather than zero-dimensional points. It also suggests that space-time can have up to nine dimensions, plus the dimension of time.
17. (slang) Cannabis or marijuana.

    • Cannabis definition

      A tall annual dioecious plant (Cannabis, especially Cannabis sativa), native to central Asia and having alternate, palmately divided leaves and tough bast fibers. (1 of 3 cannabis definitions)

    • Marijuana definition

      The inflorescence of the Cannabis sativa plant, smoked or ingested for euphoric effect. (1 of 2 marijuana definitions)
18. (billiards) Part of the game of billiards, where the order of the play is determined by testing who can get a ball closest to the bottom rail by shooting it onto the end rail.

    • Billiards definition

      A two-player cue sport played with two cue balls and one red ball, on a snooker sized table. (1 of 2 billiards definitions)

    • Rail definition

      A horizontal bar extending between supports and used for support or as a barrier; a railing. (1 of 8 rail definitions)
19. (historical, billiards) The buttons strung on a wire by which the score is kept.
20. (billiards, by extension) The points made in a game of billiards.
21. (billiards, pool) The line from behind and over which the cue ball must be played after being out of play, as by being pocketed or knocked off the table; also called the string line.

    • Cue Ball definition

      The white ball which, struck by the cue, collides with the other balls to achieve the object of the particular game. (1 of 2 cue ball definitions)
22. A strip, as of leather, by which the covers of a book are held together.
    • 1641 May, John Milton, Of Reformation Touching Church-Discipline in England: And the Cavvses that hitherto have Hindred it; republished as Will Taliaferro Hale, editor, Of Reformation Touching Church-Discipline in England (Yale Studies in English; LIV), New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Press, 1916, →OCLC:

      Many of those that pretend to be great Rabbies in these studies have scarce saluted them from the strings, and the titlepage.

23. (archaic) A fibre, as of a plant; a little fibrous root.
    • 1631, Francis [Bacon], “(please specify |century=I to X)”, in Sylua Syluarum: Or A Naturall Historie. In Ten Centuries. […], 3rd edition, London: […] William Rawley; [p]rinted by J[ohn] H[aviland] for William Lee […], →OCLC:

      Duckweed putteth forth a little string into the water, from the bottom.

24. (archaic) A nerve or tendon of an animal body.
    • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Mark 7:35:

      The string of his tongue was loosed.

    • Nerve definition

      (1 of 17 nerve definitions)

    • Tendon definition

      A tough band of flexible but inelastic fibrous collagen tissue that connects a muscle with its bony attachment and transmits the force which the muscle exerts. (1 of 3 tendon definitions)
25. (carpentry) A board supporting steps

    Synonyms: stringer, stringboard, stringpiece

    • Carpentry definition

      (1 of 6 carpentry definitions)

    • Stringer definition

      Someone who threads something; one who makes or provides strings, especially for bows. (1 of 13 stringer definitions)

    • Stringboard definition

      A stringpiece.

    • Stringpiece definition

      A long piece of timber, forming a margin or edge of any piece of construction; especially one of the longitudinal pieces supporting a flight or run of stairs.
26. (shipbuilding) An inside range of ceiling planks, corresponding to the sheer strake on the outside and bolted to it.

    • Sheer definition

      Very thin or transparent. (1 of 5 sheer definitions)

    • Strake definition

      An iron fitting of a traditional wooden wheel, such as a hub component or bearing (e.g., box, bushel), a cleat, or a rim covering. (1 of 7 strake definitions)
27. (botany) The tough fibrous substance that unites the valves of the pericarp of leguminous plants.

    the strings of beans

    • Botany definition

      The scientific study of plants, a branch of biology. Typically those disciplines that involve the whole plant. (1 of 4 botany definitions)

    • Valve definition

      A device that controls the flow of a gas or fluid through a pipe. (1 of 9 valve definitions)

    • Pericarp definition

      The outermost layer, or skin, of a ripe fruit or ovary. (1 of 2 pericarp definitions)

    • Leguminous definition

      of the Leguminosae family of peas, beans etc (1 of 2 leguminous definitions)

    • Plant definition

      An organism that is not an animal, especially an organism capable of photosynthesis. Typically a small or herbaceous organism of this kind, rather than a tree. (1 of 17 plant definitions)
28. (mining) A small, filamentous ramification of a metallic vein.
    • 1833, Thomas Sopwith, An Account of the Mining Districts of Alston Moor, Weardale […] :

      a single miner is often found pursuing his solitary labours at a string or thin vein of ore

    • Mining definition

      (1 of 5 mining definitions)

    • Filamentous definition

      Having the form of threads or filaments; filamented.

    • Ramification definition

      A branching-out, the act or result of developing branches; specifically the divergence of the stem and limbs of a plant into smaller ones, or of similar developments in blood vessels, anatomical structures etc. (1 of 3 ramification definitions)

    • Metallic definition

      Of, relating to, or characteristic of metal. (1 of 4 metallic definitions)

    • Vein definition

      A blood vessel that transports blood from the capillaries back to the heart. (1 of 9 vein definitions)
29. (architecture, masonry) A stringcourse.

    • Architecture definition

      The art and science of designing and managing the construction of buildings and other structures, particularly if they are well proportioned and decorated. (1 of 7 architecture definitions)

    • Masonry definition

      The art or occupation of a mason. (1 of 4 masonry definitions)

    • Stringcourse definition

      A thin projecting course of brickwork or stone that runs horizontally around a building, typically to emphasize the junction between floors.
30. (dated, slang) A hoax; a fake story.

    • Hoax definition

      To deceive (someone) by making them believe something that has been maliciously or mischievously fabricated.

    • Fake definition

      Not real; false, fraudulent (1 of 2 fake definitions)

    • Story definition

      An account of real or fictional events. (1 of 7 story definitions)
31. Synonym of stable (“group of prostitutes managed by one pimp”)
    • 2006, Steve Niles, Jeff Mariotte, 30 Days of Night: Rumors of the Undead, page 307:

      They were turning tricks, doing drugs, and generally little better off than they had been before, except that they were keeping more of their money. But they seemed lonely, too, without the company of their pimp and the rest of his string.

32. (oil industry) A column of drill pipe that transmits drilling fluid (via the mud pumps) and torque (via the kelly drive or top drive) to the drill bit.

Hyponyms

Derived terms

Descendants

• Portuguese: estrém

Translations

Verb

string (third-person singular simple present strings, present participle stringing, simple past strung or (obsolete or nonstandard) strang, past participle strung)

1. (transitive) To put (items) on a string.

   You can string these beads on to this cord to make a colorful necklace.

2. (transitive) To put strings on (something).

   It is difficult to string a tennis racket properly.

3. (intransitive) To form into a string or strings, as a substance which is stretched, or people who are moving along, etc.
4. (intransitive, billiards) To drive the ball against the end of the table and back, in order to determine which player is to open the game.
5. (birdwatching) To deliberately state that a certain bird is present when it is not; to knowingly mislead other birders about the occurrence of a bird, especially a rarity; to misidentify a common bird as a rare species.
   • 1980, Bill Oddie, Bill Oddie's Little Black Bird Book, page 81:

     To be honest, you'd be better off trying to string a Skylark as a Richard's Pipit rather than as a Pectoral Sandpiper.

   • 2005, Sean Dooley, The Big Twitch, Sydney: Allen and Unwin, page 67:

     For instance he might see a White-eared Honeyeater, a not uncommon bird in the heathy areas at Bunyip, but in his excitement to call it, something in his brain scrambled and came out as: `White-cheeked Honeyeater!' White-cheeked Honeyeater is an absolute stonking crippler in Victoria, but Stu was not actually trying to string a rarity, he'd just got such a flood of new information swirling around his brain that sometimes it got jumbled up.

   • Birdwatching definition

     Observing or identifying wild birds in their natural environment. (1 of 2 birdwatching definitions)

   • Bird definition

     A member of the class of animals Aves in the phylum Chordata, characterized by being warm-blooded, having feathers and wings usually capable of flight, having a beaked mouth, and laying eggs. (1 of 13 bird definitions)

   • Mislead definition

     To lead astray, in a false direction. (1 of 4 mislead definitions)

   • Birder definition

     A birdwatcher. (1 of 2 birder definitions)

   • Rarity definition

     A measure of the scarcity of an object. (1 of 6 rarity definitions)

   • Misidentify definition

     To mistake the identity.

   • Species definition

     Type or kind. (1 of 11 species definitions)

Synonyms

• (put on a string): thread
• (put strings on): lace

Derived terms

• string on
• stringer
• stringified
• stringifier
• stringify

Related terms

• string along
• string up
• string out

Translations

Further reading

• string on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• String in the Encyclopædia Britannica (11th edition, 1911)

Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from English string.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /strɪŋ/

• Audio

  (file)

• Hyphenation: string
• Rhymes: -ɪŋ

Noun

string m (plural strings, diminutive stringetje n)

1. (clothing) G-string, thong

   • Clothing definition

     present participle and gerund of clothe

   • G-String definition

     A scanty covering for the genitalia, with a thin strip of fabric that passes between the buttocks. (1 of 2 G-string definitions)

   • Thong definition

     A strip of leather. (1 of 4 thong definitions)
2. (computing) character string

   • Computing definition

     The process or act of calculation. (1 of 3 computing definitions)

Synonyms

• (character string): tekenreeks
• (G-string): reetveter

French

Etymology

Pseudo-anglicism, derived from string.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /stʁiŋ/

• Audio

  (file)

Noun

string m (plural strings)

1. G-string, thong, tanga

   • Tanga definition

     Any of various former Asian coins, including: a coin of Portuguese India worth one tenth of a rupee; a gold coin of India issued by various Muslim rulers; a silver coin of India, also issued by Muslim rulers; and a former silver coin of Tibet.

Portuguese

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English string.

Pronunciation

Noun

string m or f (plural strings)

1. (computing) string (sequence of consecutive text characters)

   Synonyms: cadeia, cadeia de caracteres

   • Cadeia definition

     chain (series of interconnected rings or links) (1 of 3 cadeia definitions)

   • Cadeia De Caracteres definition

     string (sequence of characters)

Swedish

Etymology

From English string.

Noun

string c

1. G-string, thong

Declension

Derived terms

• stringkalsong
• stringtrosa

References

• string in Svensk ordbok (SO)
• string in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)
• string in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)

Anagrams

• ringts

Tok Pisin

Etymology

From English string.

Noun

string

1. string; cord