Definition

1. Noun:
   • A very small amount of money: Refers to a minimal or barely adequate sum of money, especially for starting or operating something.
   • A lace for fastening a shoe: A long, thin cord used to tie and secure a shoe.

Usage and Examples

• Noun (Small amount of money):

  • They started the business on a shoestring. (They began the company with very little capital.)
  • The film was made on a shoestring budget. (The movie was produced with extremely limited funds.)

• Noun (Shoe lace):

  • He bent down to tie his shoestring. (He leaned over to fasten the lace of his shoe.)
  • My shoestring came undone while I was running. (The lace on my shoe became untied during my run.)

Advanced Usage

• "On a shoestring": An adverbial phrase meaning with very little money.

  • The charity operates on a shoestring. (The charity functions with minimal financial resources.)

• "Shoestring catch" (Baseball): A catch made very close to the ground.

  • The outfielder made a spectacular shoestring catch. (The outfielder caught the ball just before it hit the ground.)

Variants and Related Words

• Shoestring potatoes: (Noun) Thinly sliced potatoes that are deep-fried.
  • We ordered a side of shoestring fries. (We ordered a portion of very thin French fries.)

Synonyms

• For "small amount of money": Pittance, meager sum, limited funds.
• For "shoe lace": Lace, bootlace, string.

Related Phrases

• Tied to a shoestring: (Informal) To be controlled or limited by a very small budget.
  • The entire project is tied to a shoestring, so we must be frugal. (The project has severe budget constraints.)

Idioms

• To pull oneself up by one's (own) bootstraps/shoestrings: To improve one's situation by one's own efforts, without external help.
  • He pulled himself up by his shoestrings to become successful. (He succeeded through his own hard work and determination, starting from nothing.)

Noun

1. a small amount of money
   • he managed it on a shoestring
2. a lace used for fastening shoes