different between hanging vs swinging

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?hæ???/
• Rhymes: -æ???

Etymology 1

See the etymology of the main entry.

Verb

hanging

1. present participle of hang

Adjective

hanging (not comparable)

1. Suspended.

   The hanging vines made the house look older than it was.

2. (chess, of a piece) Unprotected and exposed to capture.
3. (baseball, slang, of an off-speed pitch) Hittable; poorly executed by the pitcher hence relatively easy to hit.

4. (Britain, slang, of a person) ugly; very unattractive
   • 2007, Summer Scars (film screenplay)

     MUGSEY: Yeah. You fancy ‘im don’ you.
     LEANNE: No I don’t. Shut yer mouth.
     MUGSEY: Your mum said he’s gonna end up just like his dad.
     LEANNE: She don’ even know Bingo. Anyway, I don’t fancy ‘im, ‘e’s hanging.

Derived terms

Translations

Etymology 2

From Middle English hangynge, honginge, equivalent to hang +? -ing. Compare Old English hengen (“hanging”) and h?hing (“hanging”).

Noun

hanging (countable and uncountable, plural hangings)

1. (uncountable) The act of hanging a person (or oneself) by the neck in order to kill that person (or to commit suicide).

   Hanging is the punishment for one convicted of war crimes, there.

2. (countable) A sometimes public event at which a person is hanged.

   The hanging of the bandits was attended by the whole village.

3. (countable) Anything that is hung as a decorative element (such as curtains, gobelins or posters).

   The various hangings on that Christmas tree look nice.

4. (uncountable) The way in which hangings (decorations) are arranged.

   I dislike the cramped hanging in the gallery of 18th century painters.

Synonyms

• (execution): a quick drop and a sudden stop, Abraham's balsam, hempen elixir, necktie party

Derived terms

• wall hanging

Translations

See also

• portière, portiere

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?sw????/
• Rhymes: -????

Noun

swinging (countable and uncountable, plural swingings)

1. The act or motion of that which swings.
   • 1973, Socialist Review (volume 8, page 331)

     Mr. Henderson's chief trouble seems to be that he cannot forget his old shiftiness of views and his pendulum-like swingings between Liberalism and Independent Labourism […]

2. An activity where couples engage in sexual activity with different partners.

Translations

Verb

swinging

1. present participle of swing

Adjective

swinging (comparative more swinging, superlative most swinging)

1. (informal) Fine, good, successful.

2. Alternative form of swingeing

   • “It is an eating fever then,” says the landlady; “for he hath devoured two swinging buttered toasts this morning for breakfast.”

3. Sexually promiscuous.