Definition of "shoestring" [shoe•string]

• See shoelace. (noun)
• A small sum of money; capital that is barely adequate: a company that started on a shoestring. (noun)
• Long and slender: shoestring potatoes. (adjective)
• Marked by or consisting of a small amount of money: a shoestring budget. (adjective)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "O'BRIEN: Barnstorming the region, he became known as the shoestring traveler."
• "Having indulged myself in shoestring Martha Stewart living in the recent past, i've become quite resourceful finding ways to make planks and rags look like Magical Venice."
• "Saying Corman makes movies on a shoestring is a giant understatement -- to him, corner cutting is an art form."