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.
Zoology. an analogous organ in invertebrate animals.
the tongue of an animal, as an ox, beef, or sheep, used for food, often prepared by smoking or pickling.
the human tongue as the organ of speech: No tongue must ever tell the secret.
the faculty or power of speech: a sight no tongue can describe.
speech or talk, especially mere glib or empty talk.
manner or character of speech: a flattering tongue.
the language of a particular people, region, or nation: the Hebrew tongue.
a dialect.
(in the Bible) a people or nation distinguished by its language.
tongues,speech, often incomprehensible, typically uttered during moments of religious ecstasy.Compare speaking in tongues, glossolalia.
an object that resembles an animal's tongue in shape, position, or function.
a strip of leather or other material under the lacing or fastening of a shoe.
a piece of metal suspended inside a bell that strikes against the side producing a sound; clapper.
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.
the pole extending from a carriage or other vehicle between the animals drawing it.
a projecting strip along the center of the edge or end of a board, for fitting into a groove in another board.
a narrow strip of land extending into a body of water; cape.
a section of ice projecting outward from the submerged part of an iceberg.
Machinery. a long, narrow projection on a machine.
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.
the pin of a buckle, brooch, etc.
verb (used with object),tongued,tongu·ing.
to articulate (tones played on a clarinet, trumpet, etc.) by strokes of the tongue.
Carpentry.
to cut a tongue on (a board).
to join or fit together by a tongue-and-groove joint.
to touch with the tongue.
to articulate or pronounce.
Archaic.
to reproach or scold.
to speak or utter.
verb (used without object),tongued,tongu·ing.
to tongue tones played on a clarinet, trumpet, etc.
to talk, especially idly or foolishly; chatter; prate.
to project like a tongue.
Idioms for tongue
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.
give tongue,
Fox Hunting.(of a hound) to bay while following a scent.
to utter one's thoughts; speak: He wouldn't give tongue to his suspicions.
hold one's tongue, to refrain from or cease speaking; keep silent.
lose one's tongue, to lose the power of speech, especially temporarily.
on the tip of one's / the tongue,
on the verge of being uttered.
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.
slip of the tongue, a mistake in speaking, as an inadvertent remark.
(with) tongue in cheek, ironically or mockingly; insincerely.
Origin of tongue
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
OTHER WORDS FROM tongue
tongueless,adjectivetonguelike,adjectiveouttongue,verb (used with object),out·tongued,out·tongu·ing.un·tongued,adjective
On a windy winter afternoon, Raluca Mateescu leaned against a fence post at the University of Florida’s Beef Teaching Unit while a Brahman heifer sniffed inquisitively at the air and reached out its tongue in search of unseen food.
Biotechnology Could Change the Cattle Industry. Will It Succeed?|Dyllan Furness|August 16, 2020|Singularity Hub
As you write, “Economics is the mother tongue of public policy.”
Is Economic Growth the Wrong Goal? (Ep. 429)|Stephen J. Dubner|August 13, 2020|Freakonomics
So she pumped the samples onto the tongue and allowed it to roll right off.
Can we taste fat? The brain thinks so|Bethany Brookshire|July 24, 2020|Science News For Students
Abramson, biting her tongue, was widely portrayed in rival outlets as classily above the fray.
The Bloodiest Media Coups of 2014|Lloyd Grove|December 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Language was no barrier; just about every tongue on the planet was babbling away, caught up in the elaborate mystique of a cult.
Sherlock Holmes Vs. Jack the Ripper|Clive Irving|November 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Joe Sutter is 93 now, silver-haired and moving a tad more slowly than he would like, but still pugnacious and sharp of tongue.
The Sexy Dream of the 747|Clive Irving|October 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The monkey seemed to be sticking his tongue out at me in defiance.
How I (Digitally) Killed My Twitter Impostor|JoBeth McDaniel|July 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The monkey avatar stared back at me, its tongue lolling out of its mouth.
How I (Digitally) Killed My Twitter Impostor|JoBeth McDaniel|July 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Let him keep his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no deceit.
Westminster Sermons|Charles Kingsley
The shape of the glottis is also modified in numerous ways by the movement of the tongue and mandibles.
Our Bird Comrades|Leander S. (Leander Sylvester) Keyser
The head is not larger than that of the workers; but the tongue is shorter and more slender, with straighter maxill.
An Introduction to Entomology: Vol. II (of 4)|William Kirby
Zura seemed more amused by Jane's manner and the funny twist in her tongue than impressed by her description.
The House of the Misty Star|Fannie Caldwell Macaulay
She was very shy at first, but her tongue finally loosened, and we were enraptured with her soft voice and beautiful accent.
The Charm of Ireland|Burton Egbert Stevenson
British Dictionary definitions for tongue
tongue
/ (tʌŋ) /
noun
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 soundsRelated adjectives: glottic, lingual
an analogous organ in invertebrates
the tongue of certain animals used as food
a language, dialect, or idiomthe English tongue
the ability to speakto lose one's tongue
a manner of speakinga glib tongue
utterance or voice (esp in the phrase give tongue)
(plural) See gift of tongues
anything which resembles a tongue in shape or functiona tongue of flame; a tongue of the sea
a promontory or spit of land
a flap of leather on a shoe, either for decoration or under the laces or buckles to protect the instep
musicthe reed of an oboe or similar instrument
the clapper of a bell
the harnessing pole of a horse-drawn vehicle
a long and narrow projection on a machine or structural part that serves as a guide for assembly or as a securing device
a projecting strip along an edge of a board that is made to fit a corresponding groove in the edge of another board
hold one's tongueto keep quiet
on the tip of one's tongueabout to come to mindher name was on the tip of his tongue
with one's tongue in one's cheekortongue in cheekwith insincere or ironical intent
verbtongues, tonguingortongued
to articulate (notes played on a wind instrument) by the process of tonguing
(tr)to lick, feel, or touch with the tongue
(tr)carpentryto provide (a board) with a tongue
(intr)(of a piece of land) to project into a body of water
(tr)obsoleteto reproach; scold
Derived forms of tongue
tongueless, adjectivetonguelike, adjective
Word Origin for tongue
Old English tunge; related to Old Saxon, Old Norse tunga, Old High German zunga, Latin lingua
A mobile mass of muscular tissue that is covered with mucous membrane, occupies much of the cavity of the mouth, forms part of its floor, bears the organ of taste, and assists in chewing, swallowing, and speech.
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.