countable the long soft piece of flesh fixed to the bottom of your mouth that you use for tasting, speaking etc
I burnt my tongue on the hotcoffee.
Synonyms and related words
The mouth and throat
Adam’s apple
agape
corner
2
countable mainly literarya language
your native tongue:
English was clearly not his native tongue.
a foreign tongue:
They were speaking in some foreign tongue.
Synonyms and related words
Types of language and general words for language
acrolect
a living language
basilect
See alsomother tongue
3
singular a particular way of speaking or writing
a sharp tongue (=a severe and unkind way of speaking to people):
She has a rather sharp tongue.
a silver tongue (=an ability to talk well and persuade people):
I hope you’ve not allowed yourself to be persuaded by Laura’s silver tongue.
Synonyms and related words
Writing or speech style
academic writing
delivery
diction
4
countable/uncountable the tongue of an animal cooked and eaten as food
Synonyms and related words
Offal
brains
giblets
kidney
5
countable a long thin piece of material that lies under the part of a shoe or boot where you fasten it
Synonyms and related words
Parts of shoes, boots and slippers
bootlaces
cleat
heel
6
singular mainly literarysomething that looks like or moves like a tongue
tongue of:
a tongue of flame/fire
Synonyms and related words
Long and thin objects
line
strip
stick
7
countable a long narrow piece of land that continues out into a sea, lake etc
Synonyms and related words
Areas of land around rivers, lakes and seas
bank
basin
bay
phrases
find your tongue
get your tongue round something
hold your tongue
keep a civil tongue in your head
lost your tongue?
roll/trip/slip off the tongue
speak in tongues
stick your tongue out (at someone)
tongues wag
watch your tongue
with (your) tongue in (your) cheek
tongue
noun
US /tʌŋ/
Other entries for this word
tongueverb
tongue-lashverb
tongue tienoun
tongue-tiedadjective
mother tonguenoun
tongue depressornoun
tongue-lashingnoun
tongue twisternoun
find your tonguephrase
hold your tonguephrase
lost your tongue?phrase
tongue-in-cheekadjective
watch your tonguephrase
tongue and groovenoun
have a loose tonguephrase
bite your tongue/lipphrase
guard your tongue/temperphrase
loosen someone’s tonguephrase
a slip of the tonguephrase
on the tip of your tonguephrase
more dictionary definitions
Word Forms
singular
tongue
plural
tongues
DEFINITIONS7
organ in mouth
language
way of speaking/writing
animal tongue as food
part of shoe/boot
something that looks like a tongue
long narrow piece of land
phrases
1
countable the long soft piece of flesh attached to the bottom of your mouth that you use for tasting, speaking, etc.
I burned my tongue on the hotcoffee.
Synonyms and related words
The mouth and throat
Adam’s apple
agape
corner
2
countable mainly literarya language
your native tongue:
English was clearly not his native tongue.
a foreign tongue:
They were speaking in some foreign tongue.
Synonyms and related words
Types of language and general words for language
acrolect
a living language
basilect
See alsomother tongue
3
singular a particular way of speaking or writing
a sharp tongue (=a severe and unkind way of speaking to people):
She has a very sharp tongue.
a silver tongue (=an ability to talk well and persuade people):
I hope you’ve not allowed yourself to be persuaded by Laura’s silver tongue.
Synonyms and related words
Writing or speech style
academic writing
delivery
diction
4
countable/uncountable the tongue of an animal cooked and eaten as food
Synonyms and related words
Offal
brains
chitterlings
giblets
5
countable a long thin piece of material that lies under the part of a shoe or boot where you fasten it
Synonyms and related words
Parts of shoes, boots and slippers
bootlaces
cleat
heel
6
singular mainly literarysomething that looks like or moves like a tongue
tongue of:
a tongue of flame/fire
Synonyms and related words
Long and thin objects
line
strip
stick
7
countable a long narrow piece of land that continues out into an ocean, lake, etc.
Synonyms and related words
Areas of land around rivers, lakes and seas
bank
basin
bay
phrases
find your tongue
get your tongue around something
hold your tongue
keep a civil tongue in your head
lost your tongue?
roll/trip/slip off the tongue
speak in tongues
stick your tongue out (at someone)
tongues wag
watch your tongue
with (your) tongue in (your) cheek
tongue
verb
UK /tʌŋ/
Other entries for this word
tonguenoun
tongue-lashverb
tongue tienoun
tongue-tiedadjective
mother tonguenoun
tongue depressornoun
tongue-lashingnoun
tongue twisternoun
find your tonguephrase
hold your tonguephrase
lost your tongue?phrase
tongue-in-cheekadjective
watch your tonguephrase
tongue and groovenoun
have a loose tonguephrase
bite your tongue/lipphrase
loosen someone’s tonguephrase
a slip of the tonguephrase
on the tip of your tonguephrase
(has the) cat got your tongue?phrase
more dictionary definitions
Word Forms
present tense
I/you/we/they
tongue
he/she/it
tongues
present participle
tonguing
past tense
tongued
past participle
tongued
DEFINITIONS2
1
intransitive/transitive musicto produce a musical note on a wind instrument by using your tongue to prevent air from flowing through it for a short time
Synonyms and related words
Playing, performing and arranging music
accompany
arrange
articulation
2
transitive to touch someone or something with your tongue, especially in order to make them sexually excited
Synonyms and related words
Kissing and touching in a sexual way
a good/terrible etc kisser
bill and coo
canoodle
tongue
verb
US /tʌŋ/
Other entries for this word
tonguenoun
tongue-lashverb
tongue tienoun
tongue-tiedadjective
mother tonguenoun
tongue depressornoun
tongue-lashingnoun
tongue twisternoun
find your tonguephrase
hold your tonguephrase
lost your tongue?phrase
tongue-in-cheekadjective
watch your tonguephrase
tongue and groovenoun
have a loose tonguephrase
bite your tongue/lipphrase
guard your tongue/temperphrase
loosen someone’s tonguephrase
a slip of the tonguephrase
on the tip of your tonguephrase
more dictionary definitions
Word Forms
present tense
I/you/we/they
tongue
he/she/it
tongues
present participle
tonguing
past tense
tongued
past participle
tongued
DEFINITIONS2
1
intransitive/transitive musicto produce a musical note on a wind instrument by using your tongue to prevent air from flowing through it for a short time
Synonyms and related words
Playing, performing and arranging music
accompany
arrange
articulation
2
transitive to touch someone or something with your tongue, especially in order to make them sexually excited