Kong

The word “Kong” means in mahjong, a set of four identical tiles, or the act of declaring such a set. In plain terms, either a set of four matching tiles in mahjong, or the famous giant movie gorilla.

“Kong” is pronounced kong (/kɔŋ/ in IPA).

Here is “Kong” used in a sentence: “She revealed her kong of red dragons and drew an extra tile.”

Depending on how it is used, “Kong” can be a noun and a name.

“Kong” is a fairly common word in modern English.

“Kong” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: in mahjong, a set of four identical tiles, or the act of declaring such a set.

Both are matched sets of identical tiles, but a pung is three of a kind and a kong is four. Declaring a kong is essentially completing a pung with the fourth tile. Because a kong uses an extra tile, the player draws a replacement so their hand keeps the right count.

There are generally three: a concealed kong, formed entirely from tiles in your own hand; an exposed or melded kong, made by claiming a discarded tile; and an added kong, where you upgrade an existing exposed pung by adding the fourth tile you later draw.

You reveal the four matching tiles, then draw a replacement tile from the wall to restore your hand to its normal size, since a kong holds one tile more than an ordinary set. Kongs can also earn bonus scoring. In some rules another player may rob a kong to complete a winning hand.