Word
tong
US/ˈtɔŋ/
UK/tˈɒŋ/
Definition
n. a tool with two arms that you use to pick up, hold, or lift things. You usually use them for hot food or pieces of coal.
n. a grasping device consisting of two arms joined at one end or by a pivot. Often used for handling items that are too hot, cold, or unhygienic to touch directly.
Examples
“He uses a pair of tongs to flip the steak.”
“The chef reached for the metal tongs to remove the roasted vegetables from the hot oven tray.”
“In the laboratory, researchers must use specialized tongs to manipulate samples stored in liquid nitrogen to prevent severe cryogenic burns to the skin.”
Examples
simple
“He uses a pair of tongs to flip the steak.”
contextual
“The chef reached for the metal tongs to remove the roasted vegetables from the hot oven tray.”
complex
“In the laboratory, researchers must use specialized tongs to manipulate samples stored in liquid nitrogen to prevent severe cryogenic burns to the skin.”
Usage
A plural-only noun; it takes a plural verb and is frequently used with the phrase 'a pair of'.
Pitfall
Where is the tong?
Where are the tongs?
Like 'scissors' or 'glasses', this is a plural-only noun and requires a plural verb.
Etymology
From Middle English tonge (“tongs, fang”), tange, from Old English tange, from Proto-West Germanic tangu, from Proto-Germanic tangō, from Proto-Indo-European *denḱ- (“to bite”). Cognate with Old Norse tǫng (modern Icelandic töng), Old High German zanga (modern German Zange). Other cognates include Sanskrit दशति (dáśati, “to bite”) and Albanian dang (“bite, nip”).
From Cantonese 堂 (tong⁴).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Related words
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/tong