dangle

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   to hang loosely and be able to swing

   A key dangled from the old brass lock.

2. 2
   verb

   to hold something out as a tempting possibility

   The company dangled a bonus to keep the team working late.

Probably of North Germanic origin, related to words meaning "to swing about," such as Danish dingle and Swedish dangla. The figurative sense extends the image of something held out loosely before someone.

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