string

noun strings

1. countable, uncountable A long, thin and flexible structure made from threads twisted together. She bought cotton thread to use to make string.

   Similar: cord, rope, line, thread, twine

2. countable, figuratively, plural, sometimes, uncountable Control; influence. I always know what position he'll take because the Chairwoman of the Board has her string on him.

   Similar: cord, rope, line, thread, twine

3. countable, figuratively, in plural, uncountable The conditions and limitations in a contract collectively. The deal sounds good, but what are the strings?

   Similar: cord, rope, line, thread, twine, conditions, provisions

4. countable, figuratively, uncountable A controlling inner sense, emotion, memory, etc. tug on the heart strings

   Similar: cord, rope, line, thread, twine

5. countable, figuratively, uncountable Control over the basketball in a game; the state of being in sync as a team, as if connected by a string. You have to get the ball on an absolute string.

   Similar: cord, rope, line, thread, twine

6. countable Any similar long, thin and flexible material. The headdress's frame is made with strings of gold.
7. countable, uncountable A length of nylon or other material comprising the webbing on the head of a racquet or the mesh pocket of a lacrosse stick.

   Similar: stringbed

8. countable, uncountable The tough fibrous substance that unites the valves of the pericarp of leguminous plants. the strings of beans; a string bean
9. countable, uncountable A bowstring. You have to be strong to pull on the string.
10. countable, uncountable, usually, used with jump The sound of a bowstring releasing, which often causes a target animal to jump. The deer jumped the string.
11. countable, uncountable A segment of wire, made of plastic, metal or other material, used as the sound-producing vibrating element on a chordophone. a violin string
12. countable, in plural, metonymically, sometimes, uncountable A stringed instrument. He lacked Ginny's skill on the strings, but made up for it in enthusiasm.
13. countable, metonymically, plural normally, uncountable The stringed instruments as a section of an orchestra, especially those played by a bow, or the persons playing those instruments. The strings were wonderful in last night's performance.

    Similar: string section

14. countable, uncountable A player's handicap in string game golf, providing an advantage in the form of the string, twine, rope, etc., used to measure that handicap. If a player uses, say, 10 inches of string to move from rough to fairway, those 10 inches are then cut from her allotment and disposed of. Players must maximize their string by using it judiciously.
15. archaic, countable, uncountable A fibre, as of a plant; a little fibrous root. Duckweed putteth forth a little string into the water, from the bottom.
16. archaic, countable, uncountable A nerve or tendon of an animal body. The string of his tongue was loosed.
17. countable A thread or cord on which a number of objects are strung or arranged in close and orderly succession; a line of things similarly strung together. a string of pearls, shells or beads

    Similar: chain

18. countable, historical, uncountable The buttons strung on a wire by which the score is kept in a game of billiards.

    Similar: chain

19. broadly, countable, historical, uncountable The points made in a game of billiards.

    Similar: chain

20. broadly, countable, uncountable A series of items or events; items arranged in a line; a trend; a sequence of words, letters, sounds, etc. The string of houses at the end of Motter Avenue are having a block party.

    Similar: chain, streak, sequence, series, succession

21. broadly, countable, uncountable A series of gunshots comprising a sequence in a practical shooting event. This is a category where I have seen some different variations. Down in Florida, they shoot this category using four pistols and a shotgun. They will replace the rifle string with another pistol string. This makes that string much more challenging because of the farther rifle targets being engaged w

    Similar: chain, streak, sequence, series, succession

22. broadly, countable, uncountable An ordered sequence of text characters stored consecutively in memory and capable of being processed as a single entity.

    Similar: chain, streak, sequence, series, succession

23. broadly, countable, uncountable A string citation. If none of the cases in a string is controlling, cite the first case and the most recent one, or the first case and the case in the string that is most like the one you are trying.

    Similar: chain, streak, sequence, series, succession

24. countable A cohesive substance taking the form of a string. The dish was garnished with zucchini strings.
25. countable, uncountable A stretchy or gooey length of melted cheese; the stringiness quality of producing such strings of cheese. The curds milled at pH 5.40 had a tough, firm texture with nice strings and squeaky chew as compared with curds milled at pH 5.10 that were much softer, flowed easily out of the cooker-stretcher, melted completely, and had a tear with no strings. The curds in the cheese made from milk with 5.5% CN w

    Similar: cheese pull, stringiness

26. countable A slightly elevated (long, thin) peat ridge in a bog. Strings and Flarks[:] The two most conspicuous land form patterns in water tracks are fields of tree islands and networks of strings and flarks. The origin of strings and flarks is a controversial subject that has been treated extensively[…]

    Similar: kermi

27. countable The line from behind and over which the cue ball must be played after being out of play, as by being pocketed or knocked off the table.

    Similar: baulk line, string line

28. countable A part of the game of billiards, in which the order of play is determined by testing who can get a ball closest to the bottom rail by shooting it onto the end rail.

    Similar: baulk line, string line, lagging

29. countable A small, filamentous ramification of a metallic vein. a single miner is often found pursuing his solitary labours at a string or thin vein of ore
30. countable A tiny one-dimensional string-like entity, the main object of study in string theory, a branch of theoretical physics.
31. broadly, countable, uncountable Any grouping of companies, institutions, etc. He owned a string of pizza restaurants throughout the region.
32. countable, uncountable A complete game of ten frames.

    Similar: line

33. countable, uncountable, used in phrases with out The series of three balls and two strikes which comprise an almost full opportunity for a batter, meaning that the next pitch will be decisive. The batter should play out the string. The pitcher should run out the string.
34. collective, countable, uncountable The members of a sports team or squad in terms of whether they are likely to play first or as backups, etc. first string; second string; third string
35. collective, countable, uncountable A group of horses kept for working purposes by one owner; a group of racehorses kept by one owner or at one stable. My string usually consisted of six to eight head and occasionally more, mostly young horses, with one or two good broke six or seven year olds.
36. collective, countable, slang, uncountable Synonym of stable (“group of prostitutes managed by one pimp”). They were turning tricks, doing drugs, and generally little better off than they had been before, except that they were keeping more of their money. But they seemed lonely, too, without the company of their pimp and the rest of his string.

    Similar: stable

37. collective, countable, uncountable A group of animals of any kind, generally moving in a line (as in camels), spread out laterally or a sequential series (as in ducks or geese taking flight). A string of goats dotted the path up the mountainside.
38. countable, uncountable A strip, as of leather, by which the covers of a book are held together. Many of those that pretend to be great Rabbies in these studies have scarce saluted them from the strings, and the titlepage.
39. countable, uncountable A board supporting steps.

    Similar: stringer, stringboard, stringpiece

40. countable, uncountable An inside range of ceiling planks, corresponding to the sheer strake on the outside and bolted to it.
41. countable, uncountable A stringcourse.
42. countable, slang, uncountable Cannabis or marijuana.
43. countable, dated, figuratively, slang, uncountable A hoax; a fake story.
44. countable, uncountable A column of drill pipe that transmits drilling fluid (using the mud pumps) and torque (using the kelly drive or top drive) to the drill bit.

Similar: string

verb strings · stringing · strung · stringed · strang

1. transitive To put (items) on a string. You can string these beads on to this cord to make a colorful necklace.

   Similar: thread

2. transitive To put strings on (something). It is difficult to string a tennis racket properly.

   Similar: lace

3. intransitive To form into a string or strings, as a substance which is stretched, or people who are moving along, etc.
4. intransitive To drive the ball against the end of the table and back, in order to determine which player is to open the game.
5. To deliberately state that a certain bird is present when it is not; to knowingly mislead other birders about the occurrence of a bird, especially a rarity; to misidentify a common bird as a rare species. To be honest, you'd be better off trying to string a Skylark as a Richard's Pipit rather than as a Pectoral Sandpiper.