hang·ing  (h ăng ĭng)
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n.1. A method of execution whereby the person is dropped and suspended from a rope around the neck, resulting in death from severing of the spinal cord, strangulation, or other causes. 2. Something, such as a tapestry, that is hung. 3. A descending slope or an inclination. adj.1. Situated, as on a steep slope, so as to appear to hang down: a hanging garden. 2. Projecting downward or outward; overhanging: hanging vines; a hanging staircase. 3. Suited for holding something that hangs: a hanging rack. 4. Baseball Being a pitch that fails to break as intended. 5. a. Deserving death by hanging: a hanging crime. b. Disposed to inflict severe sentences, such as death by hanging: a hanging judge. |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2020 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices
Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:
Indo-European Roots
Semitic Roots
The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.
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