hanging

hanging — noun

1. a legal method of capital punishment in which a noose is placed around the conde

1.nounB2
Definition

a legal method of capital punishment in which a noose is placed around the condemned person's neck and the body is dropped from a height, causing death by a broken neck or strangulation

Example

The court sentenced the convicted murderer to death by hanging.

death by hanging — typical legal collocation

Public hangings in the town square drew large crowds until officials banned the practice in 1868.

Common collocations
  • death by hanging
  • public hanging
  • judicial hanging
  • mass hanging
Synonyms
  • execution

    broader term covering any method of carrying out a death sentence

  • capital punishment

    refers to the legal system of executing criminals, not a specific method

Usage Note

The verb form uses hanged (not hung) when referring to execution: 'The prisoner was hanged at dawn.' For all other meanings the past tense is hung.

Common Mistakes

The prisoner was hung at dawn.
The prisoner was hanged at dawn.
For execution by hanging, the correct past tense is 'hanged', not 'hung'.

2. an ornamental piece of fabric, paper, or other material that is fixed to a wall,

2.nounB1
Definition

an ornamental piece of fabric, paper, or other material that is fixed to a wall, placed around a bed, or draped over a window for decoration

Example

A brightly colored wall hanging made the small room feel warm and inviting.

wall hanging — common compound noun

Yusuf bought a traditional woven hanging at the market in Marrakech.

Common collocations
  • wall hanging
  • fabric hanging
  • silk hanging
  • woven hanging
Synonyms
  • tapestry

    specifically a woven picture or design, usually historic

  • drape

    usually refers to a heavy curtain for a window

Usage Note

Often used in the plural (hangings) to refer to a set of decorative cloths around a room, such as window hangings or bed hangings.

hanging — adjective

Word family

  • hang
    verbA2
  • hanger
    nounB1
  • hangings
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/2

All four terms describe fabric used in interior spaces, but they differ in function and form. A tapestry is a heavy woven textile with a pictorial design, often antique and hung for artistic display. A curtain is primarily functional, used to block light or provide privacy at a window. A drape is a type of heavy, formal curtain that hangs in deep folds, often floor-length. Wall hanging is the broadest and most neutral term for any decorative fabric fixed to a wall, including tapestries, quilts, and woven pieces. For example: 'The museum's tapestry showed a hunting scene from the 1500s' versus 'She chose sheer curtains to let in light' versus 'The velvet drapes in the dining room added a sense of grandeur' versus 'The children made a bright wall hanging for their classroom.'

tapestrycurtain ↗drapewall hanging

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • death by hanging
  • hanging in the balance

Prepositions

  • by hanging
  • for hanging

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

From Old English 'hangian' meaning 'to be suspended, to cause to hang.' The noun form developed in the 15th century with the general meaning 'a thing that hangs,' later narrowing in legal contexts to refer specifically to execution by the noose. The adjective senses evolved from the present participle of the verb 'hang,' appearing in compound terms such as 'hanging garden' (17th century) and 'hanging offense' (18th century).