'To hang on the words' definitions:

Definition of 'To hang on the words'

From: GCIDE

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]