stringer

n. one who arranges objects on a string; horizontal timber; part-time journalist who covers a local area and supplies stories to a newspaper published in a different area

Stringer can have different meanings, including:In journalism, a stringer is a freelance journalist, who is paid for each piece of published or broadcast work, rather than receiving a regular salary. They are heavily relied upon by most television news organizations. They mostly specialize in breaking news. In American newspapers the word carries a connotation of no-nonsense professionalism as compared to "freelancer," a term more likely to be used by newcomers to the business. The etymology of the word is uncertain. Newspapers once paid stringers per inch of printed text they generated, and one theory says the length of this text was measured against a string. More likely is the theory given in the Oxford English Dictionary: that a stringer is a person who strings words together.In geology, a stringer is an irregular filament or a narrow vein of one or more minerals traversing a rock mass.In metallurgy, a stringer is an elongated body of microconstituents or foreign material aligned in the direction of working (usually hot rolling) in wrought materials. In most cases, the material of the stringers is sulfide, or clot gated oxide. Presence of stringers in materials is undesirable, as they cause the material to be brittle and with anisotropic properties.In construction a stringer is a horizontal member used to connect upright members, as in the frame of a building. Usually they are long, relatively thin pieces which give support and definition to the skin of a structure.At a steel mill, stringer is the name given to a coil of steel used to thread a production line.In aviation and boat building, a stringer is a strip of wood or metal used in much the same way as in building construction. See Longeron.In angling, a stringer is a length of fishing line, wire, or chain, to which a fisherman will attach his catch.In metallic, polymeric or composite material sintering, the term stringering refers to the amount of binding contact between powdered materials.In stairs, a stringer is a timber (usually 2"x12") that supports the treads and rises in a staircase
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Noun
1. a member of a squad on a team; "a first stringer"; "a second stringer"
(hypernym) player, participant
(member-holonym) team, squad
2. a worker who strings; "a stringer of beads"
(hypernym) worker
(derivation) string, thread, draw
3. brace consisting of a longitudinal member to strengthen a fuselage or hull
(hypernym) brace, bracing
4. a long horizontal timber to connect uprights
(hypernym) timber

(n.)
One who strings; one who makes or provides strings, especially for bows.
  

(n.)
A streak of planking carried round the inside of a vessel on the under side of the beams.
  

(n.)
A longitudinal sleeper.
  

(n.)
A long horizontal timber to connect uprights in a frame, or to support a floor or the like.
  

(n.)
A libertine; a wencher.
  

STRINGER