To hang back

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]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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  • hang\ back — • hang back • hang off • hang behind 1. To stay some distance behind or away, be unwilling to move forward. Mary offered the little girl candy, but she was shy and hung back. 2. To hesitate or be unwilling to do something. Lou wanted Fred to join …   Словарь американских идиом

  • hang back — ► hang back remain behind. Main Entry: ↑hang …   English terms dictionary

  • hang back from something — ˌhang ˈback (from sth) derived to hesitate because you are nervous about doing or saying sth • I was sure she knew the answer but for some reason she hung back. Main entry: ↑hangderived …   Useful english dictionary

  • hang back — index pause, procrastinate Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …   Law dictionary

  • hang back — 1) PHRASAL VERB If you hang back, you move or stay slightly behind a person or group, usually because you are nervous about something. [V P] I saw him step forward momentarily but then hang back, nervously massaging his hands. 2) PHRASAL VERB If… …   English dictionary

  • hang back — v. (D; intr.) to hang back from (to hang back from giving information) * * * [ hæŋ bæk] (D; intr.) to hang back from (to hang back from giving information) / …   Combinatory dictionary

  • hang back — phrasal verb [intransitive] Word forms hang back : present tense I/you/we/they hang back he/she/it hangs back present participle hanging back past tense hung back past participle hung back to not do something immediately because you are not… …   English dictionary

  • hang back — Synonyms and related words: avoid, back down, balance, be dilatory, blench, blink, boggle, cringe, dawdle, debate, deliberate, demur, dodge, drag, draw back, duck, evade, fade, fall back, fall behind, falter, fear, fight shy of, filibuster,… …   Moby Thesaurus

  • hang back — or[hang off] or[hang behind] 1. To stay some distance behind or away, be unwilling to move forward. * /Mary offered the little girl candy, but she was shy and hung back./ 2. To hesitate or be unwilling to do something. * /Lou wanted Fred to join… …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • hang back — or[hang off] or[hang behind] 1. To stay some distance behind or away, be unwilling to move forward. * /Mary offered the little girl candy, but she was shy and hung back./ 2. To hesitate or be unwilling to do something. * /Lou wanted Fred to join… …   Dictionary of American idioms

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