tongue

Definition from Wiktionary, a free dictionary

Wikipedia

Contents 1 English 1.1 Etymology 1.2 Alternative spellings 1.3 Pronunciation 1.4 Noun 1.4.1 Synonyms 1.4.2 Translations 1.5 Verb 1.5.1 Derived terms 1.5.2 Related terms

[edit] English

[edit] Etymology

From Middle English from Old English tunge from Proto-Germanic *tungōn from Proto-Indo-European *dn̥ǵʰwéh₂s. Cognates include Latin lingua.

[edit] Alternative spellings

• tounge (considered a misspelling); tung (informal/eye dialect); tong, tonge, toong, toongue, toung, toungue, tunge (obsolete)

[edit] Pronunciation

• IPA: /tʌŋ/
•  Audio (US)^{help, file}
• Rhymes: -ʌŋ

[edit] Noun

tongue (plural tongues)

1. 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.
2. A language.

   He was speaking in his native tongue.

3. In a shoe, the flap of material that goes between the laces and the foot, so called because it resembles a tongue in the mouth.
4. Any large or long physical protrusion on an automotive, a machine part or any other part that fits into a long groove on another part.

[edit] Synonyms

• (language): language, lingo (colloquial)

[edit] Translations

[edit] Verb

to tongue (third-person singular simple present tongues, present participle tonguing, simple past and past participle tongued)

1. (music) On a wind instrument, to articulate a note by starting the air with a tap of the tongue, as though by speaking a 'd' or 't' sound (alveolar plosive).
2. (slang) to kiss involving the touching of both tongues, and/or licking.

[edit] Derived terms

• double-tongued
• silver-tongue
• silver-tongued
• law of the tongue

[edit] Related terms

beef tongue cat got someone's tongue forked tongue mother tongue native tongue sharp tongue

speak in tongues tongue in cheek tongue and groove tongue depressor tongue sandwich tongue-tied tongue twister