fang

n. countable

B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈfæŋ// UK //fˈæŋ// fang

Archaic Dialect Informal Slang Botany Economics Mathematics Mining Nautical

Definition

n. a long, sharp tooth that animals like snakes, dogs, or spiders use to bite and hold their prey.

n. a long, pointed tooth, especially one of the canine teeth of a carnivorous mammal or the venom-injecting tooth of a snake.

SIMPLE

The snake sank its fangs into the small rodent.

CONTEXTUAL

The vampire costume came with a set of plastic fangs that were quite uncomfortable to wear.

COMPLEX

The predator bared its fangs in a silent warning, signaling to the rest of the pack that the territory was already claimed.

Origin

The county sense is from Mandarin 房 (Fáng). The surname sense could be from Mandarin 方 (Fāng), 房 (Fáng), 芳 (Fāng), 仿 (Fǎng) or 放 (Fǎng).

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Usage

Usually used in the plural when referring to the set of teeth in a predator's mouth.

Related words

Last updated May 6, 2026