Dictionary.com
definitions

shoestring

[ shoo-string ]
/ ˈʃuˌstrɪŋ /
|

noun

a shoelace.
a very small amount of money.
shoestrings. shoestring potatoes.

adjective

consisting of or characterized by a small amount of money: living on a shoestring budget.

RELATED CONTENT

red bottomsRead more in this article about some frequently asked questions and fun facts related to our definitions.
READ MORE
Beyond Leprechauns: 7 Creatures Of Irish FolkloreRead more in this article about some frequently asked questions and fun facts related to our definitions.
READ MORE

Nearby words

  1. shoemaker,
  2. shoemaker-levy 9,
  3. shoepac,
  4. shoer,
  5. shoeshine,
  6. shoestring catch,
  7. shoestring potatoes,
  8. shoestring root rot,
  9. shoestring tackle,
  10. shoetree

Origin of shoestring

First recorded in 1610–20; shoe + string
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for shoe-string

British Dictionary definitions for shoe-string

shoestring

/ (ˈʃuːˌstrɪŋ) /

noun

another word for shoelace
informal
  1. a very small or petty amount of money (esp in the phrase on a shoestring)
  2. (as modifier)a shoestring budget
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for shoe-string

shoe-string

n.

1610s, from shoe (n.) + string (n.). As figurative for "a small amount" it is recorded from 1882; as a type of necktie, from 1903; as a style of cooked potatoes from 1906.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Idioms and Phrases with shoe-string

shoestring

see on a shoestring.

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.