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单词 shoestring
释义

shoestring

1 of 2

noun

shoe·​string ˈshü-ˌstriŋ How to pronounce shoestring (audio)
1
: shoelace
2
[from shoestrings being a typical item sold by itinerant vendors] : a small sum of money : capital inadequate or barely adequate to the needs of a transaction
started the business on a shoestring

shoestring

2 of 2

adjective

1
: narrow and long like a shoestring
shoestring french fries
2
: operating on, accomplished by, or consisting of a small amount of money or capital
a shoestring budget

Did you know?

In earlier times, wandering peddlers offered townspeople a variety of items and trinkets, such as fabrics, embroidery materials, and even patent medicines. Another popular offering from these traveling salespeople was shoelaces. The fact that such vendors neither earned much money nor charged very much for their wares led to the connection of their literal shoestrings with a metaphorical application of "shoestring" to a very small amount of money. It's still not uncommon to hear of a business being operated on a shoestring (even if these days it's less likely that actual shoelaces are involved), but it's also possible to speak of "traveling on a shoestring" and even "gardening on a shoestring."

Synonyms

Noun

  • chicken feed [slang]
  • chump change
  • dime
  • hay
  • mite
  • peanuts
  • pin money
  • pittance
  • song
  • two cents
See all Synonyms & Antonyms

Example Sentences

Noun trying to start a business on a shoestring
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Directed by Oren Peli on a shoestring budget, Paranormal Activity kicks off with Katie (Katie Featherston) and Micah (Micah Sloat) who begin to experience strange phenomena at night in their suburban home. Sezin Koehler, EW.com, 16 Sep. 2022 Add the fact that Chugach State Park operates on a shoestring budget of just $1.2 million per year with less than 10 full-time employees, and the park is feeling the strain of popularity. Michelle Theriault Boots, Anchorage Daily News, 2 Sep. 2022 Considered a worker’s sandwich on the island, the tripleta at La Famosa is slathered with mayo-ketchup, the classic Puerto Rican condiment, and garnished (if that’s the right word) with shoestring potatoes. Tim Carman, Washington Post, 29 Aug. 2022 After opening a shoestring law office in downtown Portsmouth in 2016, Scott turned out to have a natural talent in the courtroom. Gregory S. Schneider, Washington Post, 12 June 2022 Now, on a veritable shoestring, Ukhov has been running a channel that was meant to be dedicated to uncovering corruption but has switched almost entirely to covering the war in Ukraine. Amy Kellogg, Fox News, 3 June 2022 And while Neighborhood Youth Achievers is still a shoestring operation, relying on the generosity of a small pool of donors, its orbit is expanding. Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2022 Rex said his career was in the dumps before Baker called him for the shoestring film. Lindsey Bahr, Anchorage Daily News, 7 Mar. 2022 Rex said his career was in the dumps before Baker called him for the shoestring film. Lindsey Bahr, ajc, 7 Mar. 2022
Adjective
Recent polls show that public opinion of Trump is souring as former Vice President Joe Biden pulls ahead in crucial swing states, despite a shoestring campaign and self-confinement to his Delaware home. Justin Sink, Bloomberg.com, 12 May 2020 In 2016, the Trump campaign relied on stadium rallies, TV appearances and social media to compensate for its shoestring budget and thin staffing. Jennifer Epstein, Bloomberg.com, 7 May 2020 In Greater Cincinnati, a mighty, mostly volunteer needle-exchange effort on a shoestring budget started in 2014. Terry Demio, USA TODAY, 15 Dec. 2019 In the process, mom-and-pops, immigrant-run shops, and small, shoestring operations were often sidelined, not given their full due. BostonGlobe.com, 25 Sep. 2019 Interviews with more than a dozen former employees and business partners provide a deeper look inside an organization that ballooned from a shoestring operation in the 1990s into a behemoth rivaling Wall Street’s largest firms. Rachael Levy, WSJ, 8 Feb. 2020 In Greater Cincinnati, a mighty, mostly volunteer needle-exchange effort on a shoestring budget started in 2014. Terry Demio, USA TODAY, 15 Dec. 2019 In Greater Cincinnati, a mighty, mostly volunteer needle-exchange effort on a shoestring budget started in 2014. Terry Demio, USA TODAY, 15 Dec. 2019 In Greater Cincinnati, a mighty, mostly volunteer needle-exchange effort on a shoestring budget started in 2014. Terry Demio, USA TODAY, 15 Dec. 2019 See More

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1616, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1859, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Kids Definition

shoestring

noun

shoe·​string ˈshü-ˌstriŋ How to pronounce shoestring (audio)
: shoelace

shoestring 1 of 2

noun

as in dime
a very small sum of money trying to start a business on a shoestring

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
  • dime
  • peanuts
  • pittance
  • hay
  • chicken feed
  • mite
  • two cents
  • pin money
  • petty cash
  • pocket money
  • spending money
  • chump change
  • song

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

  • funds
  • mint
  • capital
  • bankroll
  • wad
  • bundle
  • fortune
  • means
  • wherewithal
  • boodle
  • treasure
  • megabuck(s)
  • pile
  • opulence
  • pot
  • riches
  • big buck(s)
  • wealth
  • pelf
  • heap
  • king's ransom
  • mine
  • bonanza
  • treasury
  • treasure trove
See More

shoestring

2 of 2

adjective

as in spindly

Synonyms & Similar Words

  • spindly
  • stringy
  • wispy
  • tight
  • twiggy
  • contracted
  • lanky
  • squeezed
  • reedy
  • willowy
  • stalky
  • constricted
  • rangy
  • bottleneck
  • tightened
  • close
  • thin
  • spare
  • compressed
  • lank
  • condensed
  • elongated
  • linear
  • elongate
  • skinny
  • paper-thin
  • slender
  • attenuate
  • narrow
  • attenuated
  • ultrathin
  • slim
  • needlelike
  • hairline
  • slim-jim
  • fine

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

  • wide
  • thick
  • broad
  • fat
  • stumpy
  • chunky
  • massive
  • squat
  • thickset
  • bulky
  • voluminous
  • stocky
  • thickish
  • widish
See More
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更新时间:2024/12/23 1:49:52