noun

dong

noun

The basic unit of currency in Vietnam.

"She exchanged her dollars for Vietnamese dong at the airport."

A low, deep, ringing sound like that of a large bell.

"The clock tower let out a single dong at noon."

Vulgar slang for the penis.

"The joke was crude enough that it got a laugh anyway."

verb

To make a low, deep, ringing sound.

"The old bell donged twice before falling silent."

How to Use Dong

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishEither Vietnam's currency or the deep "bong" sound of a large bell — context makes it obvious which.

When to use it

The slang sense for male genitalia is crude and best avoided in formal or professional writing.

donged past tense, dong plural, dongs plural, dongs plural, dongs plural, dongs plural, Dongs plural, dongs singular

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Test yourself on “dong” A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage →

Can you complete this real example?

She exchanged her dollars for Vietnamese _____ at the airport.

The currency sense comes from Vietnamese đồng, ultimately from a Chinese word for "copper"; the sound sense is imitative, echoing the noise itself.

Ong song long pong tong gong mong bong Kong hong nong jong