- 1 [uncountable, countable] material made of several threads twisted together, used for tying things together; a piece of string used to fasten or pull something or keep something in place a piece/length of string He wrapped the package in brown paper and tied it with string. The key is hanging on a string by the door. see also drawstring, G-string, purse strings Oxford Collocations Dictionary adjectivetaut, tight, loose, … … of stringbit, length, piece, … verb + stringtie, tie something up with, undo, … string + nounvest prepositionin the string, string of See full entry things joined
- 2 [countable] a set or series of things that are joined together, for example on a string a string of pearls The molecules join together to form long strings. series
- 3[countable] a series of things or people that come closely one after another a string of hits He owns a string of racing stables. computing
- 4 [countable] a series of characters (= letters, numbers, etc.) musical instruments
- 5[countable] a tightly stretched piece of wire, nylon, or catgut on a musical instrument, that produces a musical note when the instrument is played Oxford Collocations Dictionary adjectiveopen, guitar, violin, … verb + stringtune, loosen, tighten, … string + verbbreak, vibrate string + nouninstrument prepositionon a/the string See full entry See related entries: Musical instruments
- 6the strings [plural] the group of musical instruments in an orchestra that have strings, for example violins; the people who play them The opening theme is taken up by the strings. compare brass, percussion, woodwind See related entries: Musical instruments on tennis racket
- 7[countable] any of the tightly stretched pieces of nylon, etc. in a racket, used for hitting balls in tennis and some other games See related entries: Tennis conditions
- 8strings [plural] special conditions or restrictions Major loans like these always come with strings. It's a business proposition, pure and simple. No strings attached. Word OriginOld English streng (noun), of Germanic origin; related to German Strang, also to strong. The verb (dating from late Middle English) is first recorded in the senses ‘arrange in a row’ and ‘fit with a string’.Extra examples He pulled the string tight. He wound the string into a ball. I cut a length of string to tie up the package. Next to the phone, there was a pencil dangling on a string. Play it on the G string. The treatment is available in a string of clinics across the country. There’s a knot in the string. There’s been a whole string of accidents at that corner. This is the latest in a string of scandals associated with the president. Tie the string around the package. Tie the string round the parcel. a tennis player with a long string of successes on grass courts After winning a string of elections, the party suddenly went into decline. He had a whole string of broken relationships in his past. He retired after a string of chart hits in the 1980s. The company owns a string of casinos in Nevada.Idioms
for tying/fastening
(too much under) the influence and control of somebody The British prime minister is too apt to cling to Washington's apron strings.
(British English) to have more than one skill or plan that you can use if you need to The exhibition shows that he has other strings to his artistic bow.
(British English, informal) used to say that there is no definite answer to a question ‘How long will it take?’ ‘How long's a piece of string?’
(informal) to use your influence in order to get an advantage for somebody
to control events or the actions of other people
Check pronunciation: string
