Emily Dickinson Lexicon

HANG, v.t. [pret. and pp. hanged or hung. Sax. hangan; Sw. hänga; Dan. hænger; G. and D. hangen; W. hongian, to hang; hong, a hanging or dangling; honc, a shake, a wagging; honcaw, to shake, wag, stagger, to waver. The latter seems to be the primary sense.]

1. To suspend; to fasten to some fixed object above, in such a manner as to swing or move; as, to hang a thief. Pharaoh hanged the chief baker. Hence,
2. To put to death by suspending by the neck. Many men would rebel, rather than be ruined; but they would rather not rebel than be hanged. Ames.
3. To place without any solid support or foundation. He hangeth the earth upon nothing. Job xxxvi.
4. To fix in such a manner as to be movable; as, to hang a door or grate on hooks or by butts.
5. To cover or furnish by any thing suspended or fastened to the walls; as, to hang an apartment with curtains or with pictures. Hung be the heavens with black. Shak. And hung thy holy roofs with savage spoils. Dryden. To hang out, to suspend in open view; to display; to exhibit to notice; as, to hang out false colors. #2. To hang abroad; to suspend in the open air. To hang over, to project or cause to project above. To hang down, to let fall below the proper situation; to bend down; to decline; as, to hang down the head, and elliptically, to hang the head. To hang up, to suspend; to place on something fixed on high. #2. To suspend; to keep or suffer to remain undecided; as, to hang up, a question in debate.