Stringlike

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Having qualities characteristic of a string, such as being long, thin, and able to be threaded or pulled taut
2. Elongated and slender like cord or twine, with a fibrous or thread-like quality
3. Possessing the thin, linear appearance and flexible properties typical of cord or rope

Etymology: "Stringlike" is a plain compound: the noun "string" joined to the suffix "-like," which attaches to nouns to mean "resembling or having the character of" the base. Its formation follows the same pattern as many older English words such as "childlike" or "lifelike," so it needs little explanation beyond that. The suffix itself comes from the Old English "gelic," meaning "having the same form or appearance," which is also the source of the modern word "like" in its sense of "similar." The base word "string" has an older history of its own. It descends from Old English "streng," a word for a cord or thread, and it has long been used both for literal lengths of twine or fiber and, later, for anything arranged in a line or series, such as a string of beads or a string of events.

Synonyms: stringy, thread-like, fibrous