hang-by

noun

A dependent; a hanger-on.

Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

nounhang-by (plural hang-bys or hang-bies)

plural hang-bys · plural hang-bies

  1. derogatoryobsoleteA dependent; a hanger-on.

    ; I am not afraid of you nor them neither, your hang-by's here. You must have your poets, and your potlings; your solados and foolados; to follow you up and down the city

    1598, Beniamin Ionson [i.e., Ben Jonson], “Euery Man in His Humour. A Comœdie. […]”, in The Workes of Beniamin Ionson (First Folio), London: […] Will[iam] Stansby, published 1616, →OCLC, (please specify the act number in uppercase Roman numerals, and the scene number in lowercase Roman numerals)

Origin

From hang + by.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

hang-by. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hang-by

MLA

“hang-by.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hang-by. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “hang-by,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hang-by.

Source: hang-by on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.