tongue

[tuhng]

noun

1. Anatomy.,  the usually movable organ in the floor of the mouth in humans and most vertebrates, functioning in eating, in tasting, and, in humans, in speaking.

2. Zoology.,  an analogous organ in invertebrate animals.

3. the tongue of an animal, as an ox, beef, or sheep, used for food, often prepared by smoking or pickling.

4. the human tongue as the organ of speech.

   No tongue must ever tell the secret.

5. the faculty or power of speech.

   a sight no tongue can describe.

6. speech or talk, especially mere glib or empty talk.

7. manner or character of speech.

   a flattering tongue.

8. the language of a particular people, region, or nation.

   the Hebrew tongue.

9. a dialect.

10. (in the Bible) a people or nation distinguished by its language.

11. tongues, speech, often incomprehensible, typically uttered during moments of religious ecstasy.

12. an object that resembles an animal's tongue in shape, position, or function.

13. a strip of leather or other material under the lacing or fastening of a shoe.

14. a piece of metal suspended inside a bell that strikes against the side producing a sound; clapper.

15. a vibrating reed or similar structure in a musical instrument, as in a clarinet, or in part of a musical instrument, as in an organ reed pipe.

16. the pole extending from a carriage or other vehicle between the animals drawing it.

17. a projecting strip along the center of the edge or end of a board, for fitting into a groove in another board.

18. a narrow strip of land extending into a body of water; cape.

19. a section of ice projecting outward from the submerged part of an iceberg.

20. Machinery.,  a long, narrow projection on a machine.

21. that part of a railroad switch that is shifted to direct the wheels of a locomotive or car to one or the other track of a railroad.

22. the pin of a buckle, brooch, etc.

verb (used with object)

tongued, tonguing 

1. to articulate (tones played on a clarinet, trumpet, etc.) by strokes of the tongue.

2. Carpentry.

   1. to cut a tongue on (a board).

   2. to join or fit together by a tongue-and-groove joint.

3. to touch with the tongue.

4. to articulate or pronounce.

5. Archaic.

   1. to reproach or scold.

   2. to speak or utter.

verb (used without object)

tongued, tonguing 

1. to tongue tones played on a clarinet, trumpet, etc.

2. to talk, especially idly or foolishly; chatter; prate.

3. to project like a tongue.

tongue

/ tʌŋ /

noun

1. a movable mass of muscular tissue attached to the floor of the mouth in most vertebrates. It is the organ of taste and aids the mastication and swallowing of food. In man it plays an important part in the articulation of speech sounds

2. an analogous organ in invertebrates

3. the tongue of certain animals used as food

4. a language, dialect, or idiom

   the English tongue

5. the ability to speak

   to lose one's tongue

6. a manner of speaking

   a glib tongue

7. utterance or voice (esp in the phrase give tongue )

8. (plural) See gift of tongues

9. anything which resembles a tongue in shape or function

   a tongue of flame

   a tongue of the sea

10. a promontory or spit of land

11. a flap of leather on a shoe, either for decoration or under the laces or buckles to protect the instep

12. music the reed of an oboe or similar instrument

13. the clapper of a bell

14. the harnessing pole of a horse-drawn vehicle

15. a long and narrow projection on a machine or structural part that serves as a guide for assembly or as a securing device

16. a projecting strip along an edge of a board that is made to fit a corresponding groove in the edge of another board

17. to keep quiet

18. about to come to mind

    her name was on the tip of his tongue

19. with insincere or ironical intent

verb

1. to articulate (notes played on a wind instrument) by the process of tonguing

2. (tr) to lick, feel, or touch with the tongue

3. (tr) carpentry to provide (a board) with a tongue

4. (intr) (of a piece of land) to project into a body of water

5. obsolete,  (tr) to reproach; scold

tongue

1. A muscular organ in most vertebrates that is usually attached to the bottom of the mouth. In snakes, the tongue is used as a sense organ. In frogs, the tongue is chiefly used to capture prey. In mammals, the tongue is the main organ of taste and is an important organ of digestion. In humans, the tongue is used to produce speech.

2. A similar organ in certain invertebrate animals.

Other Word Forms

• tonguelike adjective
• tongueless adjective
• outtongue verb (used with object)
• untongued adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of tongue¹

before 900; (noun) Middle English tunge, Old English; cognate with Dutch tong, German Zunge, Old Norse tunga, Gothic tuggo; akin to Latin lingua (OL dingua ); (v.) Middle English tungen to scold, derivative of the noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of tongue¹

Old English tunge; related to Old Saxon, Old Norse tunga, Old High German zunga, Latin lingua

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. slip of the tongue, a mistake in speaking, as an inadvertent remark.

2. hold one's tongue, to refrain from or cease speaking; keep silent.

3. find one's tongue, to regain one's powers of speech; recover one's poise.

   She wanted to say something, but couldn't find her tongue.

4. on the tip of one's / the tongue,

   1. on the verge of being uttered.

   2. unable to be recalled; barely escaping one's memory.

      The answer was on the tip of my tongue, but I couldn't think of it.

5. (with) tongue in cheek, ironically or mockingly; insincerely.

6. give tongue,

   1. Fox Hunting. (of a hound) to bay while following a scent.

   2. to utter one's thoughts; speak.

      He wouldn't give tongue to his suspicions.

7. lose one's tongue, to lose the power of speech, especially temporarily.

More idioms and phrases containing tongue

• bite one's tongue
• cat got someone's tongue
• hold one's tongue
• keep a civil tongue
• on the tip of one's tongue
• slip of the lip (tongue)

Example Sentences

Then, issue a press guidance that he will be making an announcement on Tuesday and watch the tongues wag.

From Salon

It’s all these words that are just kind of fun to roll off your tongue.

From Los Angeles Times

While CDC scientists held their tongues, Kennedy exaggerated the power of nutrition and vitamin A while furthering mistrust in vaccines.

From Salon

Flamingos use their tongues to pump water through their uniquely adapted bills, which are lined with rows of fine, comblike plates.

From BBC

Writing in English, their dominant tongue, allowed them to “shoot from the hip,” as he puts it.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• dialect 
• voice 

When To Use

Spelling tips for tongue

The word tongue is so commonly misspelled as tounge that we’ve left it that way in the heading above so that this answer will be easier to find! Many people often misspell it this way (by placing the u after the o instead of after the g) because of how it is pronounced: [ tuhng ].How to spell tongue: To remember how to spell tongue, keep in mind the phrase "My tongue felt a ton of fatigue." This indicates that the first syllable of tongue is spelled ton, and the second syllable is spelled -gue like the end of fatigue.