Tongue

Quick meaning: Tongue is a noun meaning (countable, uncountable) Such an organ, as taken from animals and used for food (especially from cows).

Meaning

(countable, uncountable) Such an organ, as taken from animals and used for food (especially from cows).

More Meanings

1. (metonymic) A language.
2. A manner of speaking, often habitually.
3. (synecdochic, usually in the plural) A person speaking in a specified manner.
4. The flexible muscular organ in the mouth that is used to move food around, for tasting and that is moved into various positions to modify the flow of air from the lungs in order to produce different sounds in speech.
5. Any similar organ, such as the lingual ribbon, or odontophore, of a mollusk; the proboscis of a moth or butterfly; or the lingua of an insect.
6. (obsolete, synecdochic) The speakers of a language, collectively.
7. (obsolete) A voice, (the distinctive sound of a person's speech); accent (distinctive manner of pronouncing a language).

Example Sentences

cold tongue with mustard

He was speaking in his native tongue.

But lering and lurking here and there like ſpies,

“You should read Spanish,” he said. “It is a noble tongue. […]”

Word Forms

• tongues
• tong
• tonge
• tonguing
• tongued

Synonyms for tongue

Depending on context, synonyms include glossa, lingua, idiom, language, lingo, mouth.

Related Words

Related dictionary entries include lingua, glossa, spit, knife, clapper, mouth.

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