See Also: string tie(dictionary)
G string(dictionary)
string(medicine)
second-string(dictionary)
first-string(dictionary)
G-string(dictionary)
string(1)(dictionary)
string(2)(dictionary)
purse-string(dictionary)
string quartet(encyclopedia)

string(2) (iou)



string verb. , (earlier, now rare) stringed. LME.
[from the noun.]
I. verb trans.
Draw up, arrange, or extend in a line or row; distribute widely at intervals. Freq. foll. by out. LME.
Conan Doyle Ten thousand men, strung over a large extent of country. S. Chitty His children..followed strung out behind him like a row of ducklings.
Provide or fit with a string or strings; attach a string or strings to; spec. prepare (a bow) for shooting an arrow by positioning the string so that it can be drawn tight; poet. tune (a stringed instrument). LME.
Shakespeare Two Gentlemen of Verona Orpheus' lute was strung with poets' sinews. J. Hurdis He tipt his arrow, strung his bow.
b. Provide with or with nerves or sinews etc. Usu. in pass. M17.
fig.: Dryden Their Language is not strung with Sinews like our English.
Remove the (natural) string or strings from; esp. remove the strings from (beans). Orig. spec., prepare (a lamprey) for eating. E16.
A. Lee Busy in the kitchen, perhaps..stringing beans.
fig. Make tense, brace, invigorate, or sensitize (the nerves or sinews, the mind, etc.); freq. foll. by up. Also, bring to a specified condition of tension etc. Usu. in pass. L16.
HIGHLY strung.
Dryden Toil strung the Nerves and purifi'd the Blood. R. M. Ballantyne A..British tar..whose nerves were tightly strung and used to danger.
Bind, tie, or fasten with a string or strings. E17.
J. Pudney A diagram showing how parcels were to be stringed.
Thread (beads etc.) on or as on a string; make (a necklace) in this way; join together on or as on a string. Also, hang or suspend by a connecting string (freq. foll. by up). E17.
M. de la Roche Ernest, stringing afresh a necklet of enormous..beads. fig.: Arthur Lyons Small, exclusive communities..strung like..pearls along the highway.
b. fig. Put (esp. words, ideas, etc.) together in a connected sequence. E17.
Rolling Stone Baez seems content to simply string verses. O. Keepnews I have been able to string together some sensible observations.
Kill by hanging. Usu. foll. by up. colloq. E18.
Deceive, hoax. slang (now chiefly N. Amer.). E19.
Provide, equip, or adorn with something suspended or slung. M19.
M. Gallant A..tennis court strung with Christmas lights.
Extend or stretch from one point to another. Also foll. by out. M19.
S. E. White Stringing booms across the riverobstructing navigation.
II. verb intrans.
a. Be hanged. Also foll. by up. Scot. E18.
b. Hang like a string from. L19.
Move or progress in a string or disconnected line. (Foll. by out, off, etc.) E19.
W. D. Lighthall The pedestrians are already stringing off along the road. S. Trott They strung out in a line across the street.
Billiards etc. Determine the order of play by striking the cue-ball from baulk to rebound off the top cushion, first stroke going to the player whose ball comes to rest nearer the bottom cushion. E19.
Of a viscous substance: form into strings, become stringy. M19.
Work as a stringer in journalism. M20.
With adverbs in specialized senses: string along colloq. deceive, fool; esp. keep (a person) in a state of misplaced confidence by encouragement or apparent compliance. string along with colloq. keep company with; agree or go along with, usu. unenthusiastically. string out colloq. prolong, esp. unduly; cause to last as long as possible.