shoestring

[shoo-string]

noun

1. a shoelace.

2. a very small amount of money.

3. shoestrings. shoestring potatoes.

adjective

1. consisting of or characterized by a small amount of money.

   living on a shoestring budget.

shoestring

/ ˈʃuːˌstrɪŋ /

noun

1. another word for shoelace

2. informal

   1. a very small or petty amount of money (esp in the phrase on a shoestring )

   2. ( as modifier )

      a shoestring budget

Word History and Origins

Origin of shoestring¹

First recorded in 1610–20; shoe + string

Idioms and Phrases

see on a shoestring.

Example Sentences

A subscription to the Proloquo speech app alone would cost $300 a year out-of-pocket — more than she can afford on her shoestring budget.

From Los Angeles Times

The cutesy performance shtick around a shoestring variety show — imagine Pee-wee’s Playhouse without the bewitching oddity — grows wearying.

From Los Angeles Times

"It was all done on a shoestring budget," he said.

From BBC

Don’t be shy about shape or size — shoestring, steak-cut, crinkle, waffle, sweet potato — I’ll even give a pass to tater tots for the sake of this exercise.

From Salon

Peanuts, but important peanuts — especially for rural and tribal libraries that function on shoestring budgets.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• frivolous 
• immaterial 
• inconsequential 
• insignificant 
• irrelevant 
• meaningless 
• negligible 
• null 
• trivial 
• unnecessary 
• useless 
• worthless