drawstring

American

[draw-string] / ˈdrɔˌstrɪŋ /

Or draw string

noun

a string or cord that tightens or closes an opening, as of a bag, clothing, or the like, when one or both ends are pulled.

drawstring British

/ ˈdrɔːˌstrɪŋ /

noun

1. a cord, ribbon, etc, run through a hem around an opening, as on the bottom of a sleeve or at the mouth of a bag, so that when it is pulled tighter, the opening closes
2. ( as modifier )
  
  a drawstring neckline

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of drawstring

First recorded in 1825–35; draw + string

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

This structure tightens like a drawstring, squeezing the cell into two daughter cells.

From Science Daily

Sam imagined himself standing in front of the circle of children at nursery school, holding up big striped pants with a drawstring at the waist.

From Literature

Hila pulled a candle from the leather handbag resting on the couch beside her, followed by a black drawstring pouch, dumping the ring onto her hand.

From Literature

She’s wearing tight jeans, heels and a baggy Harvard hoodie and twirls the sweatshirt’s drawstrings in her fingers as she speaks.

From Los Angeles Times

Hard to know what she’ll appreciate more: the peaceful slumber or the practical drawstring bag constructed in the same silky fabric as the mask and scrunchie.

From The Wall Street Journal

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023