From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishhang about phrasal verb British English1 spokenSLOW to move slowly or take too long doing something Come on, we haven’t got time to hang about!2 hang about (something)SPEND TIME to spend time somewhere without any real purpose There were always groups of boys hanging about in the square. He normally hung about the house all day.3 hang about! spoken a) WAITSTOP DOING somethingused to ask someone to wait or stop what they are doing b) used when you have just noticed or thought of something that is interesting or wrong Hang about – that can’t be right. → hang→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
hang about• No birds, no booze, no groupies hanging about.• There the loading was still under way and the women were still hanging about.• Now they're off and married, so we hang about and get the trouble.• Sometimes the men hang about, especially around the younger women.• I didn't hang about getting to Armstrong and getting him started and headed back to Plumstead Road.• For a while they hang about on trees; then they die, fall off and lie about on the ground.• I used to hang about the school waiting for him to come out.hang about (something)• No birds, no booze, no groupies hanging about.• There the loading was still under way and the women were still hanging about.• This one had lustreless brown hair, very straight, hanging about a pale, underground face.• Now they're off and married, so we hang about and get the trouble.• Sometimes the men hang about, especially around the younger women.• I didn't hang about getting to Armstrong and getting him started and headed back to Plumstead Road.• For a while they hang about on trees; then they die, fall off and lie about on the ground.• I used to hang about the school waiting for him to come out. 