string
B1Neutral; common in everyday, technical, and academic contexts.
Definition
Meaning
A long, thin, flexible piece of material such as twine, cord, or wire, used for tying, binding, or hanging things.
A sequence or series of items, characters, or events connected or following one another; in computing, a data type representing a sequence of characters.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The word bridges concrete physical objects (a piece of twine) and abstract sequences (a string of numbers). In computing, it is a fundamental technical term.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Minimal. Both use 'string' for physical material and abstract sequences. Slight preference in UK for 'twine' or 'cord' for thicker material, while US may use 'string' more broadly.
Connotations
Neutral in both. In informal contexts, 'string someone along' (deceive) is common in both varieties.
Frequency
Equally high frequency in both varieties.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
string + noun (string a racket)string + together + noun (string ideas together)be strung + preposition (be strung across the room)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “pull strings”
- “string someone along”
- “have two strings to one's bow”
- “on a string”
- “no strings attached”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Refers to a series of successes/failures (a string of profits) or conditions attached to a deal (strings attached).
Academic
Used in mathematics (string of digits), physics (string theory), and linguistics (string of phonemes).
Everyday
Common for tying parcels, festive lights, or a sequence of events.
Technical
Fundamental in computer science as a data type for text.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- She strung the fairy lights along the fence.
- He carefully strung his tennis racket.
American English
- They strung the banners across Main Street.
- She strung the new guitar with nylon strings.
adverb
British English
- Not commonly used as an adverb.
American English
- Not commonly used as an adverb.
adjective
British English
- He plays in the string section of the orchestra.
- It's a simple string bag for shopping.
American English
- The string beans are ready to harvest.
- They formed a string quartet for the event.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- I need a piece of string to tie this box.
- She has a string of blue beads.
- The children made necklaces with beads and string.
- He had a string of bad luck last year.
- The theory is based on a complex string of equations.
- She managed to string a coherent argument together.
- The contract was approved with several financial strings attached.
- The software parses the input string to identify commands.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine tying letters (S-T-R-I-N-G) together with a piece of string to remember it's for connecting things.
Conceptual Metaphor
CONNECTEDNESS IS A STRING (e.g., 'string of arguments'), CONTROL IS HOLDING A STRING (e.g., 'have someone on a string').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid translating 'string' (sequence) as 'нитка' when it means 'ряд' or 'последовательность'. In computing, 'строка' is correct.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'rope' for thin string. Confusing 'string' (countable for physical material) with 'string' (uncountable as a substance).
Practice
Quiz
In computing, what is a 'string' primarily?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It can be both. As a material ('I need some string') it's uncountable. As individual pieces or sequences ('two strings', 'a string of pearls') it's countable.
It's largely about thickness and strength. 'String' is thin (for tying parcels). 'Cord' is thicker (for blinds or lamps). 'Rope' is the thickest and strongest (for ships or climbing).
It means an offer or gift is given freely, without any special conditions or obligations for the recipient.
It means to thread or hang things on a string (string beads), to fit a string to something (string a bow), or to arrange things in a series (string words together). The past tense is 'strung'.