What does hanger mean?
A hanger is an object designed to support clothing or another item so that it can be suspended, most commonly from a rail, rod, or hook. Its everyday use usually refers to a clothes hanger, whether made of wood, plastic, metal, or another material. In a wardrobe or clothing shop, a hanger keeps garments in shape and makes them easy to organize, browse, and display. The word can also refer more generally to a hook or support from which something hangs. In British English, “peg” is especially common for the clothing item, while “hanger” is the standard term in both British and American English. Although the spelling can cause occasional confusion with “hangar,” the latter denotes a large shelter for aircraft, not an object for holding garments. The word is useful because it names a small, familiar tool whose practical role extends from personal storage to retail display.
nounA hanger is a frame, hook, or similar support used to hang clothing or another object. The word most often refers to the lightweight devices used to keep garments on hangers in a wardrobe or shop.
- A frame, hook, or support used to hang clothing, especially a coat hanger or clothes hanger.
- Any hook or similar support on which an object may be suspended.
"She put the coat on a wooden hanger before hanging it in the closet."
"The shop assistant placed the shirt on a hanger behind the counter."
"A metal hanger held the bunch of keys from the workbench."
The standard plural is “hangers,” with the same spelling and pronunciation apart from the added plural ending.
"The shop had several rows of empty hangers near the fitting rooms."
A hanger is a tiny tool with an outsized reach: it keeps a coat off the floor—and shares a root with the vast shelters that house aircraft.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does hanger come from?
“Hanger” is an English word formed from “hang” with the suffix “-er,” in the sense of a thing on which something hangs. Its root goes back to the Germanic family of English “hang” and the Old English “hangian,” related to suspending or fastening something. The related words “hangar,” “hangnail,” and “hangover” preserve or reflect the same “hang” root in different forms.
Related word forms
How hanger is actually used
In British English, “peg” is often the more usual everyday word for a clothes hanger, particularly in shops; “hanger” remains standard in both British and American English. The general sense for a hook or support is less frequent than the clothing sense.
Easily confused with hanger
A hanger holds clothing or other objects, whereas a hangar is a large building or shelter for storing aircraft.