'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]