tongn.1
/tɒŋ/, U.S. /tɔŋ/, /tɑŋ/ A deep ringing sound produced by a stroke on a large bell, deeper than that denoted by tang n.2, but sharper than that denoted by dong; the stroke producing this.
ΘΚΠ
society > leisure > the arts > music > musical sound > sound of instruments > [noun] > sound of bell > large bell
knoll1379
toll1452
knolling1480
tollinga1513
tonging1584
thief and reever bell1777
bell-toll1860
donga1882
tong1881
1881 G. F. Jackson Shropshire Word-bk. Suppl. Tong, the sound produced by a slow single stroke on a church-bell; the stroke itself…‘The bell gies a tong or two w'en they comen out o' Church’.
1883 C. S. Burne Shropshire Folk-lore xxxvii. 604 Giving a few tongs on the bell.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1913; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
tongn.2
/tɒŋ/, U.S. /tɔŋ/, /tɑŋ/ An association or secret society of Chinese in the U.S., originally formed as a benevolent or protective society but frequently associated with underworld criminal activity.
ΘΚΠ
society > society and the community > social relations > an association, society, or organization > secret society > [noun] > Chinese secret societies
Triad Society1821
hoey1865
tong1883
Triads1960
1883 Harper's Mag. May 831/1 This burial-place..is parcelled off by white fences into enclosures for a large number of separate burial guilds, or tongs, as the Fook Yam Tong [etc.].
1913 J. London Valley of Moon iii. xx Chan Chi, had been a hatchet-man of note, in the old fighting days of the San Francisco tongs.
1924 Glasgow Herald 29 Oct. 8 Rival Tongs, whose principal object seems to be mutual extermination.
1948 P. Johnston Lost & Living Cities Calif. Gold Rush 15/2 Chinese who were members of two tongs, the Sam-yap and the Yan-wo, were working side by side at Two-mile Bar, on the Stanislaus River.
1968 New York City (Michelin Tire Corp.) 83 Chinatown was then an area rife with debauchery and vice, the scene of ‘tong wars’ fought by rival ‘tongs’ to win control over opium dens, gambling haunts and houses of ill fame.
1972 K. Bonfiglioli Don't point that Thing at Me xv. 128 The Chinese Tongs used to favour a six-inch nail, the Japanese use a sharpened umbrella-rib.
1977 Time 12 Dec. 28/2 The famous Tongs were something else, more mysterious—secret societies similar to Mafia families. They ran gambling, prostitution, drugs, and offered merchants ‘protection’.
Compounds
General attributive, esp. in tong war.
ΚΠ
1927 Daily Express 25 Mar. 2/1 Chinese Tong (secret society) warfare broke out at midnight throughout the United States.
1928 H. Asbury Gangs of N.Y. 301 The tong wars appeared to have begun about 1899, and..were all caused by conflicting gambling interests.
1950 Los Angeles Times Home Mag. 26 Mar. 5/2 The servants of 70 years ago were mostly Chinese whose favorite outdoor sports were tong wars.
1962 ‘K. Orvis’ Damned & Destroyed ii. 20 I was called in by a tong leader.
1966 ‘G. Black’ You want to die, Johnny? iii. 51 The police are not neutrals in the little wars. Our interests are not entirely focussed on Tong feuds.
1972 J. Ball Five Pieces Jade xvi. 220 He had the idea that he could get rid of the two Chinese by..making it look like a ritual killing or a tong murder.
1976 J. O'Connor Eleventh Commandment viii. 101 The screws weren't standing for Tong warfare.
1980 G. V. Higgins Kennedy for Def. xvii. 149 We are liable to have a nice little tong war on our hands.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1986; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
tongv.1
/tɒŋ/, U.S. /tɔŋ/, /tɑŋ/ 1. intransitive. To emit a deep ringing sound, as a bell when struck. Also with cognate object. Cf. tang v.2 1, 3.
ΘΚΠ
society > leisure > the arts > music > musical sound > sound of instruments > sound [verb (intransitive)] > bells
ringc1175
knella1375
clinkc1386
clapc1440
jangle1494
toll1551
knoll1582
chime1583
troll1607
tintinnate1623
swing1645
ding-dong1659
strike1677
jow1786
clam?a1800
to ring in1818
dinglea1839
to strike offa1843
dingle dongle1858
jowl1872
tankle1894
tintinnabulate1906
tong1907
1584 [see tonging n. at Derivatives].
1881 G. F. Jackson Shropshire Word-bk. Suppl. Tongv.n., to sound in one tone, as of a church-bell.
1907 Scribner's Mag. Feb. 151 The great bell of the cathedral tonged out the vespers.
2. transitive. To cause (a bell, or other resonant body) to emit such a sound. tong out, to sound forth by tonging.
Π
1881 G. F. Jackson Shropshire Word-bk. Suppl. Tong v.a., to cause to sound.
1883 W. H. Cope Gloss. Hampshire Words (at cited word) The bells be ‘tonged’, i.e. are being tolled.
Derivatives
ˈtonging n.
ΘΚΠ
society > leisure > the arts > music > musical sound > sound of instruments > [noun] > sound of bell > large bell
knoll1379
toll1452
knolling1480
tollinga1513
tonging1584
thief and reever bell1777
bell-toll1860
donga1882
tong1881
1584 R. Scot Discouerie Witchcraft xii. xviii. 268 Trusting rather to the tonging of their belles, than to their owne crie vnto God.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1913; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
tongv.2
/tɒŋ/, U.S. /tɔŋ/, /tɑŋ/ U.S.
1. transitive. To grasp, gather, or handle with tongs; spec. to gather (clams or oysters) with oyster-tongs.
ΚΠ
1869 [see tonging n. at Derivatives]. 1887 [see tonger n. at Derivatives].
Categories »
2. intransitive. To use or work with tongs.
3. transitive. To lift or move (a log) with skidding tongs.
ΚΠ
1901 Munsey's Mag. 25 386/1 Before it reaches the mill..a saw log is moved four times in four different ways. First, it has to be ‘tonged’ a distance of anywhere from ten to a hundred feet.
4. To style (hair, etc.) with curling tongs.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > attention and judgement > beautification > beautification of the person > beautification of the hair > beautify (the hair) [verb (transitive)] > curl
crispc1340
crook1340
pincha1398
curl1447
frouncea1529
creis1553
frizzle1565
thrum1598
becurl1614
calamistrate1628
frizz1660
fruz1702
crimp1708
buckle1721
befriz1772
crape1774
crêpe1818
crinkle1871
permanently wave1901
marcel1906
water-wave1912
permanent wave1921
permanent1924
perm1928
tong1932
scrunch1983
1932 ‘E. M. Delafield’ Thank Heaven Fasting i. ii. 35 Monica's hair had been tonged into waves.
1953 P. L. Fermor Violins of Saint-Jacques 48 His moustache was crisply tonged.
1976 ‘D. Halliday’ Dolly & Nanny Bird iii. 37 She had her hair waved to her ears, and then tonged out sideways.
Derivatives
tonger n. /ˈtɒŋə(r)/ one who gathers oysters with oyster-tongs.
/ˈtɒŋə(r)/ one who gathers oysters with oyster-tongs.ΘΚΠ
the world > food and drink > hunting > fishing > fisher > [noun] > for oysters
oysterman1305
dredger?a1513
oyster dredger?a1513
waterman1549
oysterera1618
dredger-man1696
tonger1887
tongman1887
1887 G. B. Goode Fisheries U.S.: Hist. & Methods II. 552 As soon as a tonger has caught as many as his small boat will carry he sells out to the runner and returns to work.
ˈtonging n. /ˈtɒŋɪŋ/ the use of tongs; spec. the taking of oysters with tongs.
/ˈtɒŋɪŋ/ the use of tongs; spec. the taking of oysters with tongs.ΘΚΠ
the world > food and drink > hunting > fishing > fishing for type of fish > [noun] > for shellfish > for oysters
oystering1662
tonging1869
1869 Ann. Rep. Commissioner Agric. 1868 342 in U.S. Congress. Serial Set (40th Congr., 3rd Sess.: House of Representatives Executive Doc.) XV Eleven million bushels [of oysters] taken in the legitimate way of dredging and tonging.
1887 G. B. Goode Fisheries U.S.: Hist. & Methods II. 552 The size of the tonging-canoe ranges from 15 or 16 feet to 30 feet or more.
1891 W. K. Brooks Amer. Oyster 2 There were 1000 boats engaged in dredging and 1500 canoes engaged in tonging.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1913; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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