hanger

noun

hang·​er ˈhaŋ-ər 

1

: one that hangs or causes to be hung or hanged

2

: something that hangs, overhangs, or is suspended: such as

a

: a decorative strip of cloth

b

: a small sword formerly used by sailors

c

chiefly British : a small wood on steeply sloping land

3

: a device by which or to which something is hung or hangs: such as

a

: a strap on a sword belt by which a sword or dagger can be suspended

b

: a loop by which a garment is hung up

c

: a device that fits inside or around a garment for hanging from a hook or rod

Examples of hanger in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The back of someone’s closet was ripped away, but the jackets within remained, untouched and neatly lined up, on their hangers. — Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 12 Nov. 2026

Vasquez additionally accused one of her supervisors of throwing a clothing hanger at Vasquez’s feet while reprimanding her. — Matt Lavietes, NBC news, 11 Nov. 2026

Among the conditions of the agreement are that Tap will cover the cost of implementation and future marketing materials, such as door hangers, per a city memo. — Molly Morrow, Chicago Tribune, 9 Nov. 2026

But Calvo, who was then running for mayor, personally contributed two separate $395 donations to help pay for her campaign door hangers, according to public records. — Verónica Egui Brito, Miami Herald, 4 Nov. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing hanger

• cliff-hanger
• clothes hanger
• coat hanger
• hanger-on
• hanger steak

Rhymes for hanger

• ganger
• hangar

Video

Is It 'Hanger' or 'Hangar'?

Editor Serenity Carr breaks down hanger vs. hangar with a simple trick to keep them apart.

Transcript

Hanger. There's the one for clothes and the one for airplanes. They sound the same but are spelled differently. One ends in er, the other ends in ar. So how do you remember which is which? The airplane hangar ends in ar, which is one letter short of air.

Kids Definition

hanger

noun

hang·​er ˈhaŋ-ər 

1

: one that hangs

2

: a device by which something hangs

especially : a device for hanging a garment from a hook or rod