Skip to definition.
Get the FREE one-click dictionary software for Windows or the iPhone/iPad and Android apps


Noun: tongue  túng
  1. A mobile mass of muscular tissue covered with mucous membrane and located in the oral cavity
    - lingua, glossa, clapper [informal]
     
  2. A human written or spoken language used by a community; opposed to e.g. a computer language
    - natural language
     
  3. Any long thin projection that is transient
    "tongues of flame licked at the walls";
    - knife
     
  4. A manner of speaking
    "he spoke with a thick tongue"; "she has a glib tongue"
     
  5. A narrow strip of land that juts out into the sea
    - spit
     
  6. The tongue of certain animals used as meat
     
  7. The flap of material under the laces of a shoe or boot
     
  8. Metal striker that hangs inside a bell and makes a sound by hitting the side
    - clapper
Verb: tongue  túng
  1. (music) articulate by tonguing, as when playing wind instruments
     
  2. Lick or explore with the tongue

Sounds like: tons, tuns, ttongu

Derived forms: tongued, tongues, tonguing

Type of: articulator, cape, delivery, flap, language, lap, lick, linguistic communication, manner of speaking, ness, organ, organs, play, projection, speech, spiel, striker, variety meat

Antonym: artificial language

Part of: bell, boot, cakehole [Brit, informal], gob [Brit, informal], hole [informal], kisser [informal], maw [informal], mouth, oral cavity, oral fissure, pharynx, shoe, throat, trap [informal], yap [N. Amer, informal]

Encyclopedia: Tongue, Nicholas