Shoestring
/ˈʃuːˌstrɪŋ/noun
A string, lace, or narrow strip used to fasten a shoe; by extension, something very small or minimal in amount.
Did you know?The word is a straightforward compound, but its second element, *string*, comes from an ancient root meaning “to draw tight,” the same family behind ideas of binding, stretching, and tension.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*strē-
“to draw tight, pull, stretch”
Old English
English
scōh
“shoe, foot covering”
Old English
English
streng
“cord, line, string”
Middle English
English
shoo streng / shoe-string
“a string or lace for a shoe”
Modern English
English
shoestring
“a lace for a shoe; later, something done with very little money”