TONGS Tongs, n. pl. Etym: [OE. tonge, tange, AS. tange; akin to D. tang, G. zanga, OHG. zanga, Don. tang, Sw. tng, Icel. tng, Gr. dadaTang a strong taste, anything projecting.]
Defn: An instrument, usually of metal, consisting of two parts, or long shafts, jointed together at or near one end, or united by an elastic bow, used for handling things, especially hot coals or metals; — often called a pair of tongs.
TONGUE
Tongue, n. Etym: [OE. tunge, tonge, AS. tunge; akin to OFries. tunge,
D. tong, OS. tunga, G. zunge, OHG. zunga, Icel. & Sw. tunga, Dan
tunge, Goth. tugdingua, L. lingua. Language, Lingo. ]
1. (Anat.)
Defn: an organ situated in the floor of the mouth of most vertebrates and connected with the hyoid arch.
Note: The tongue is usually muscular, mobile, and free at one extremity, and in man other mammals is the principal organ of taste, aids in the prehension of food, in swallowing, and in modifying the voice as in speech. To make his English sweet upon his tongue. Chaucer.
2. The power of articulate utterance; speech. Parrots imitating human tongue. Dryden.
3. Discourse; fluency of speech or expression. Much tongue and much judgment seldom go together. L. Estrange.
4. Honorable discourse; eulogy. [Obs.] She was born noble; let that title find her a private grave, but neither tongue nor honor. Beau. & Fl.
5. A language; the whole sum of words used by a particular nation; as, the English tongue. Chaucer. Whose tongue thou shalt not understand. Deut. xxviii. 49. To speak all tongues. Milton.