To hang back

Hang Hang, 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.

Note: 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]