tongue
noun
\ ˈtəŋ
\
\
Definition of tongue
(Entry 1 of 3)
1a
: a fleshy movable muscular process of the floor of the mouths of most vertebrates that bears sensory end organs and small glands and functions especially in taking and swallowing food and in humans as a speech organ
b
: a part of various invertebrate animals that is analogous to the tongue
2
: the flesh of a tongue (as of the ox or sheep) used as food
b
: manner or quality of utterance with respect to tone or sound, the sense of what is expressed, or the intention of the speaker
she has a clever tongue a sharp tongue
c
: ecstatic, typically unintelligible utterance occurring especially in a moment of religious excitation
—usually plural It would be like the miracle described in the Acts of the Apostles, demonstrated with healing, speaking in tongues and other signs and wonders.— Dan Wakefield… where they can sing and shriek and talk in tongues and testify and have a part.— Jane Kramer
d
: the cry of or as if of a hound pursuing or in sight of game
—used especially in the phrase to give tongue
4
: the power of communication through speech
5
: a tapering flame
tongues of fire
6
: something resembling an animal's tongue in being elongated and fastened at one end only: such as
a
: the flap under the lacing or buckles of a shoe at the throat of the vamp
b
: a movable pin in a buckle
c
: a metal ball suspended inside a bell so as to strike against the sides as the bell is swung
d
: the pole (see pole entry 1 sense 1b) of a vehicle (such as a wagon)
7a
: the rib on one edge of a board that fits into a corresponding groove in an edge of another board to make a flush joint
b
: feather sense 4
8
: a long narrow strip of land projecting into a body of water
tongue
verb
tongued;
tonguing\ ˈtəŋ-iŋ
\
\
Definition of tongue (Entry 2 of 3)
1
: to articulate (notes on a wind instrument) by successively interrupting the stream of wind with the action of the tongue
2
: to touch or lick with or as if with the tongue
3a
: to cut a tongue on
tongue a board
b
: to join (parts, such as boards) by means of a tongue and groove
tongue flooring together
1
: to articulate notes on a wind instrument by successively interrupting the stream of wind with the action of the tongue
2
: to project in a tongue
Tongue
geographical name
\ ˈtəŋ
\
\
Definition of Tongue (Entry 3 of 3)
river 246 miles (396 kilometers) long in northern Wyoming and southern Montana flowing north into the Yellowstone River
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Other Words from tongue
Noun
tonguelike
\ -ˌlīk
\
adjective
\
adjective
Synonyms for tongue
Synonyms: Noun
language, lingo, mother tongue, speech, vocabulary
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Examples of tongue in a Sentence
Noun
The cow ran its tongue over its lips. The taste of the spice was still on her tongue. The little girl stuck her tongue out at me. He spoke in a foreign tongue. English is my native tongue. They speak the same tongue. His sharp tongue is going to get him into trouble someday.Verb
learning how to tongue notes on the clarinet
Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
His quick temper and sharp tongue were intimidating. — Washington Post, "Ex-clergyman says US priest in Philippines a known pedophile," 10 Sep. 2019 The grounds here burst with many tongues, every hue and every race, unlike the other Slams. — Kurt Streeter, New York Times, "Serena Williams Lost, but Her Legacy Is Winning," 8 Sep. 2019 In response, Lovato sent a kissy and tongue-sticking-out emoji, prompting hundreds of fans to chime in with comments begging the two to get together. — Aurelie Corinthios, PEOPLE.com, "Demi Lovato and The Bachelorette's Mike Johnson Exchange Flirty Comments About Her Bikini Photo," 6 Sep. 2019 Varying its pitch relies on the player’s embouchure – the employment of lips, facial muscles, tongue and teeth. — George Castle, chicagotribune.com, "Families create, polish shofars to prepare for Rosh Hashanah," 3 Sep. 2019 Among the 25 injured are a 17-month-old girl who suffered a gunshot wound to her lips, teeth and tongue; a truck driver that will forever carry shrapnel from the bullet that pierced his lungs; and at least three law enforcement officers. — Chelsea Curtis, azcentral, "Family, friends of Odessa mass shooting survivors find hope after the terror," 2 Sep. 2019 Ruby had hired a Hollywood prop designer to help him create gigantic skulls out of resin, with sharp teeth and bulbous eyeballs and tongues. — Christina Binkley, The New Yorker, "Sterling Ruby’s Mixed Media," 2 Sep. 2019 Anderson Davis suffered shrapnel in her right chest, has a hole through her bottom lip and tongue, and had her front teeth knocked out after being shot in the face, according to a GoFundMe page created by a family friend. — Doha Madani, NBC News, "Death toll in Odessa shooting rises to 7, a 17-month-old child among those injured," 1 Sep. 2019 The toddler has shrapnel in her chest and a hole in her bottom lip and tongue. — ExpressNews.com, "Booming West Texas oil patch shaken by shooting spree as death toll rises to 8," 1 Sep. 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
In Semple’s depiction, Bernadette is more than just crabby and eloquently viper-tongued; she’s possessed by a sociopolitical bitterness, as well. — Richard Brody, The New Yorker, "“Where’d You Go, Bernadette,” Reviewed: Richard Linklater’s Narrow View of a Creator in Crisis," 26 Aug. 2019 The poison-tongued potty mouth crashed Stephen Colbert’s monologue Tuesday night and directed his brash brand of comedy at Colbert, late-night and, of course, President Trump. — Libby Hill, latimes.com, "Deadpool crashes Colbert and unleashes some top-notch, lowbrow Trump humor," 16 May 2018 In the painted world, Beaverbrook is stricter and Maugham more acid-tongued than ever. — Meghan Cox Gurdon, WSJ, "Children’s Books: Meeting the People in the Paintings," 5 July 2018 Along with the Burmese Python, Andersen brought an armadillo, a chinchilla, a leopard tortoise and an Australian blue-tongued skink. — Lisa Dejong, cleveland.com, "Outback Ray's Amazing Animal Show (photos)," 5 Mar. 2018 Broussard is just one of Burke’s finely nuanced characters; others include a silver-tongued, wealthy, ostensibly populist businessman who is snugly in bed with white nationalists. — Adam Woog, The Seattle Times, "Crime fiction: James Lee Burke’s latest brings back deputy ‘Robicheaux’," 14 Jan. 2018 If your colleagues or clients grow irate over unanswered emails, tell them to submit a complaint to Slinky, the blue-tongued skink. — Andrea Sachs, The Seattle Times, "Petting zoos at the office are the latest perk for stressed-out employees," 25 Dec. 2017 Sullivan elicits the suave personality of the silver-tongued attorney, but also imbues him with a tough guy persona. — Theodore P. Mahne, NOLA.com, "Sharp dances drive JPAS' arresting production of 'Chicago'," 9 Oct. 2017