stringer

noun

string·​er ˈstriŋ-ər 

1

: one that strings

2

: a string, wire, or chain often with snaps on which fish are strung by a fisherman

3

: a narrow vein or irregular filament of mineral traversing a rock mass of different material

4

a

: a long horizontal timber to connect uprights in a frame or to support a floor

b

: string sense 8

c

: a tie in a truss

5

a

: a longitudinal member extending from bent to bent of a railroad bridge and carrying the track

b

: a longitudinal member (as in an airplane fuselage or wing) to reinforce the skin

6

a

: a news correspondent who is paid space rates

b

: a reporter who works for a publication or news agency on a part-time basis

broadly : correspondent

7

: one estimated to be of specified excellence or efficiency

—used in combination

first-stringer

second-stringer

Examples of stringer in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Brian Daboll’s first stringers turned in an atrocious second padded practice at the training facility in East Rutherford, N.J., getting dominated by a defense playing without star defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence, who sat out with an illness for a second straight day. —Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 30 July 2024

An uncertainty that didn’t really leave even after the Steelers offered him a one-year deal to come back as the third stringer behind Kenny Pickett and Mitch Trubisky. —Will Graves, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Jan. 2024

Testers also praised the stability provided by the mid-stiff, high-grade poplar core, which is reinforced by nose-to-tail carbon stringers. —Outside Editors, Outside Online, 11 Nov. 2024

As the name implies, the airframe is a series of cross-sectional hoops linked by stringers that run the fuselage’s length. —Ryan Erik King / Jalopnik, Quartz, 21 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

stringer

noun

string·​er ˈstriŋ-ər 

1

: one that strings

2

: a long piece of wood or metal used for support or strengthening in a building (as under a floor)