string
Definitions
Thin cord made of twisted threads, used for tying.
细绳，线。
A series of similar things coming one after another.
一连串，一系列。
A tightly stretched cord on a musical instrument; (plural) the string section.
（乐器的）弦；（复数）弦乐器。
To thread objects onto a string; to hang or stretch a line of something.
穿（成串）；把……串起来；张挂。
Root Breakdown
Root-derivedstring is a native Germanic word (Old English streng), but it shares the same ancient Indo-European root as Latin stringere — both go back to a sense of "drawn tight, taut cord." That's why a guitar string is pulled taut and why "a string of" pictures things threaded tightly in a line.
Root strain still carries 57 more wordsWhy It Means This
string sits in the family by cognate, not by Latin descent: it came down through Germanic (Old English streng) rather than through Latin like strict and stress. They are distant cousins sharing the same Indo-European ancestor — which is why the "taut cord" image runs through both.
Common Collocations
- 1.a string of一连串的
- 2.string quartet弦乐四重奏
- 3.pull strings走后门／动用关系
- 4.no strings attached无附加条件
Example Sentences
- 1.
She tied the parcel with a piece of string.
- 2.
A string of bad luck nearly ruined the trip.
- 3.
He strung the lights across the garden.