hanger

American  

[hang-er] / ˈhæŋ ər /

noun

• hangers
  plural

1. a shoulder-shaped frame with a hook at the top, usually of wire, wood, or plastic, for draping and hanging a garment when not in use.

2. a part of something by which it is hung, as a loop on a garment.

3. a contrivance on which things are hung, as a hook.

4. Automotive. a double-hinged device linking the chassis with the leaf springs on vehicles having solid axles.

5. a light saber of the 17th and 18th centuries, often worn by sailors.

6. a person who hangs something.

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hanger British  

/ ˈhæŋə /

noun

1. 1. any support, such as a hook, strap, peg, or loop, on or by which something may be hung

   2. See coat hanger

2. 1. a person who hangs something

   2. ( in combination )

      paperhanger

3. a bracket designed to attach one part of a mechanical structure to another, such as the one that attaches the spring shackle of a motor car to the chassis

4. a wood on a steep hillside, characteristically beech growing on chalk in southern England

5. 1. a loop or strap on a sword belt from which a short sword or dagger was hung

   2. the weapon itself

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• hangers
  plural

Etymology

Origin of hanger

1400–50; late Middle English hangere; see hang, -er ¹

Explanation

A device you use to hang something, like clothing, is a hanger. When your brother drops his jacket on the floor, you might remind him to put it on a hanger and hang it up in the closet. Clothes and coat hangers are common, often made from metal or wood that's bent into a triangular shape. Other hangers include picture hangers and plant hangers — really, anything from which you can hang something is a hanger. A person who does the hanging — hanging your new wallpaper, for example — is another kind of hanger. Be careful not to confuse these hangers with a hangar, which is a garage where airplanes are kept.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

hanger hangers

The charcoal-grilled hanger steak, which Pettingell said is sourced from natural beef ranchers, is by far the biggest cost.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 22, 2026

"The plane is now safely back in the hanger and the pilot is on his day off."

From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026

The coat hanger became the symbol for legalization.

From Slate ● Apr. 20, 2026

Its included slimline coat hanger kept everything nice and tidy.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 13, 2025

She ripped a bloodred ball gown off a hanger along with the matching red feather masquerade mask that went with it.

From "Glitch" by Laura Martin

A reduced weight limit was put in place after the hangers - which lift the suspension chains and the road - were found to need repairs.

From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026

He said the company used to put plastic hangers in those boxes to be used on retailers’ store racks.

From MarketWatch ● Jan. 8, 2026

Her long-term partner, Prudence Fenton, explains in the film that she was allotted “this much” drawer space and two coat hangers when she moved in.

From Salon ● Apr. 15, 2025

I had entered a kind of demon mode, manically grabbing things off hangers and throwing them on the floor.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 8, 2025

All her clothes wait patiently on hangers, organized by type—skirts together, pants hanging by their cuffs, her sweaters stacked in plastic bags on shelves.

From "Speak" by Laurie Halse Anderson

Related Words

• blade
• dagger
• saber