tongue
tuhng
Tongue (noun) means the flexible muscular organ in the mouth used for tasting, moving food, and forming speech sounds. Example: “He burned his tongue on the hot soup.”
noun
1
The flexible muscular organ in the mouth used for tasting, moving food, and forming speech sounds.
"He burned his tongue on the hot soup."
"She stuck her tongue out at her brother."
"The doctor asked me to open wide and stick out my tongue."
2
A language.
"French was her mother tongue."
"The old poem was written in a forgotten tongue."
"Welsh is the first tongue of many people in the valley."
3
A narrow strip of material or land, such as the flap in a shoe or a strip of land jutting into water.
"Tuck the tongue of the boot in before lacing it up."
"A narrow tongue of land stretched out into the bay."
"The tongue of my left trainer is too thin and keeps slipping sideways."
How to use tongue
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe organ in your mouth for tasting and speaking, or, figuratively, a language or a narrow strip of something.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
mother tongue
bite your tongue
tongue-tied
on the tip of my tongue
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Word forms
- Plural
- tongues
- Third person singular
- tongues
- Past tense
- tongued
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
He burned his _____ on the hot soup.
Etymology
From Old English tunge, from a Proto-Germanic root related to Latin lingua — a doublet of "language" and "lingua."
Related words
Rhymes for tongue
See all rhymes for tongue →Frequently asked questions
What does “tongue” mean?
The word “tongue” means the flexible muscular organ in the mouth used for tasting, moving food, and forming speech sounds. In plain terms, the organ in your mouth for tasting and speaking, or, figuratively, a language or a narrow strip of something.
How do you pronounce “tongue”?
“Tongue” is pronounced tuhng (/tʌŋ/ in IPA).
How do you use “tongue” in a sentence?
Here is “tongue” used in a sentence: “He burned his tongue on the hot soup.”
What part of speech is “tongue”?
“Tongue” is a noun.
Where does the word “tongue” come from?
The word “tongue” comes from Latin. From Old English tunge, from a Proto-Germanic root related to Latin lingua — a doublet of "language" and "lingua.".
Is “tongue” a common word?
“Tongue” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.
How many meanings does “tongue” have?
“Tongue” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: the flexible muscular organ in the mouth used for tasting, moving food, and forming speech sounds.
What is the difference between 'tongue' and 'language'?
Tongue can mean the muscular organ in the mouth used for tasting and speech, or, in a more literary sense, a language itself. 'Language' is the more neutral, everyday word, while 'tongue' meaning language sounds more poetic or formal, as in 'mother tongue' or 'a foreign tongue'.
What do the idioms 'hold your tongue' and 'tongue in cheek' mean?
'Hold your tongue' means to stay silent or refrain from speaking. 'Tongue in cheek' describes something said as a joke or with irony, not meant to be taken seriously. Both idioms use tongue to stand for speech.
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