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
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.
Cite this Entry
“Hanger.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hanger. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.
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