stringer

noun

string·​er ˈstriŋ-ər 

1

: one that strings

2

: a string, wire, or chain often with snaps on which fish are strung by a fisherman

3

: a narrow vein or irregular filament of mineral traversing a rock mass of different material

4

a

: a long horizontal timber to connect uprights in a frame or to support a floor

b

: string sense 8

c

: a tie in a truss

5

a

: a longitudinal member extending from bent to bent of a railroad bridge and carrying the track

b

: a longitudinal member (as in an airplane fuselage or wing) to reinforce the skin

6

a

: a news correspondent who is paid space rates

b

: a reporter who works for a publication or news agency on a part-time basis

broadly : correspondent

7

: one estimated to be of specified excellence or efficiency

—used in combination

first-stringer

second-stringer

Examples of stringer in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Advertisement Video from the stringer service OC Hawk showed a bearded man sitting in the stopped self-driving vehicle, poking his head out and speaking to police. —Nathan Solis, Los Angeles Times, 2 Jan. 2025

Cutting and fitting new stair components, including stringers and treads. Installing the new stairs and ensuring they are securely anchored. —USA Today, 7 Apr. 2025

As of Saturday, all employees could not access VOA headquarters in Washington, D.C. All VOA freelancers and stringers worldwide, and those with monthly contracts or assignments, have to stop working because there is now no way to pay them, the source added. —Camilla Schick, CBS News, 15 Mar. 2025

Born in the Bronx, Katz got his start as a stringer with The New York Times, paying his dues during the early 1960s before moving to the newspaper’s sports desk. —Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 29 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for stringer

• bringer
• clinger
• dinger
• inger
• ringer
• slinger
• springer
• stinger
• winger
• wringer

Kids Definition

stringer

noun

string·​er ˈstriŋ-ər 

1

: one that strings

2

: a long piece of wood or metal used for support or strengthening in a building (as under a floor)