tongue
tongue — noun
1. The soft, movable piece of flesh inside your mouth that helps you taste food, sp
The soft, movable piece of flesh inside your mouth that helps you taste food, speak, and swallow.
The doctor asked Mira to open her mouth and stick out her tongue.
tongue + stick out for medical examination
Ari burned his tongue on the hot tea and could not taste the cake.
The cat's rough tongue felt strange against Dahlia's hand.
Naoko bit her tongue by accident while eating lunch.
bite + tongue for accidental injury
When Yuna was a baby, she loved to touch everything with her tongue.
- burn your tongue
- bite your tongue
- stick out your tongue
- tongue piercing
- tip of the tongue
- on your tongue
Usage Note
Often used with possessive pronouns (my tongue, her tongue). The verb 'stick out' is the most common instruction from doctors.
Common Mistakes
2. Meat from the tongue of animals such as cows or pigs, prepared and eaten as a di
Meat from the tongue of animals such as cows or pigs, prepared and eaten as a dish.
My grandmother made a sandwich with sliced tongue and pickles.
sliced tongue in a sandwich
Caleb ordered braised tongue at the traditional restaurant.
In some countries, cow tongue is a special dish for holiday feasts.
The market sells smoked tongue for about the same price as ham.
- sliced tongue
- smoked tongue
- braised tongue
- pickled tongue
- cow tongue
- beef tongue
Usage Note
Usually refers to the tongue of cows (beef tongue) or pigs (pork tongue). In Taiwan-style menus, it is often called 牛舌 (niú shé) or 豬舌 (zhū shé).
3. A short flat piece of leather or fabric inside a shoe, positioned below the row
A short flat piece of leather or fabric inside a shoe, positioned below the row of laces to cushion the top of the foot.
The tongue of Vikram's new boots keeps sliding to one side.
tongue + of + shoe/boot
Mira pulled the tongue forward before she tightened the laces.
A rip in the tongue let water leak into Eshe's hiking shoe.
The leather tongue has a small tag inside that shows the shoe size.
Caleb folded the tongue flat and tied his running shoes loosely.
- tongue of the shoe
- tongue slides
- tongue tag
- tongue pad
- under the tongue of the boot
Usage Note
The shoe tongue is the flap under the laces. If the tongue slides to one side, the shoe is said to have a 'wandering tongue' — a common minor design problem.
4. A system of spoken or written words used by a particular group of people to comm
A system of spoken or written words used by a particular group of people to communicate with one another.
Ari's mother tongue is Tamil, but he speaks English at work every day.
mother tongue = first language
The tour guide spoke in a foreign tongue that none of the visitors understood.
Matthew is learning a second tongue to prepare for his trip to Japan.
The old manuscript was written in a tongue no longer spoken by anyone alive.
Naoko finds it easiest to express her feelings in her native tongue.
native tongue = language you grew up speaking
- mother tongue
- native tongue
- foreign tongue
- common tongue
- ancient tongue
Usage Note
This is a more poetic or formal synonym for 'language'. It frequently appears in fixed phrases: 'mother tongue', 'native tongue', 'foreign tongue'. It is not used for computer or programming languages.
Common Mistakes
5. The particular style or quality of a person's speech, especially regarding how h
The particular style or quality of a person's speech, especially regarding how harsh, persuasive, or expressive their words are.
The lawyer's sharp tongue made the witness feel uncomfortable in court.
sharp tongue = tendency to say harsh things
Vikram has a smooth tongue and can charm almost anyone he meets.
The teacher warned the student to watch his tongue during the debate.
watch your tongue = be careful what you say
Aylin's bitter tongue often hurt the feelings of people around her.
Despite his kind face, the old man still had a very sharp tongue.
- sharp tongue
- smooth tongue
- silver tongue
- bitter tongue
- loose tongue
- forked tongue
Usage Note
Always used with a preceding adjective that describes the quality of speech (sharp, smooth, bitter, loose, silver, forked). The adjective is essential — 'he has a tongue' alone does not convey this meaning.
6. A long, narrow stretch of land that reaches out into a sea, lake, or river, like
A long, narrow stretch of land that reaches out into a sea, lake, or river, like the shape of a tongue.
The boat sailed carefully around a narrow tongue of land covered with pine trees.
tongue + of + land
A sandy tongue of land stretches far into the calm blue lake.
The old castle was built on a tongue of land between two rivers.
Geologists studied the rocky tongue that jutted into the ocean.
Birds nested on the grassy tongue of land near the river mouth.
- tongue of land
- tongue of the sea
- narrow tongue
- rocky tongue
- sandy tongue
Usage Note
Almost always followed by 'of land' or 'of [water body]'. Used in formal or descriptive writing rather than casual conversation. In geography, a similar feature is called a 'peninsula' when larger.
7. A narrow, moving piece of flame that rises from something that is burning, shape
A narrow, moving piece of flame that rises from something that is burning, shaped somewhat like a tongue.
Tongues of flame rose from the barn and lit up the night sky.
tongues of flame = moving fire shaped like tongues
A small tongue of fire danced above the candle wick.
The firefighter watched a tongue of flame spread across the dry grass.
Tongues of fire licked at the wooden beams of the old farmhouse.
From the campfire, a tongue of flame stretched upward into the dark.
- tongue of flame
- tongue of fire
- tongues of flame rose
- tongues of fire licked
Usage Note
Almost always used in the plural (tongues of flame/fire). Common in literary or journalistic descriptions of fires. The verb 'lick' often co-occurs with this sense (tongues of fire licked at...).
8. A heavy metal part suspended from the top inside of a bell; as the bell swings,
A heavy metal part suspended from the top inside of a bell; as the bell swings, it hits the inner walls to produce a ringing tone.
The bell's iron tongue swung back and struck the metal sides.
bell + tongue = clapper
When the church bell was stolen, its tongue was later found in the grass.
The blacksmith forged a new tongue for the cracked bell.
Each time the tongue struck the bell, a deep sound filled the valley.
Without its tongue, the old bell could not make any sound at all.
- bell tongue
- tongue of the bell
- iron tongue
- tongue struck
- clapper
the more common modern term; 'tongue' is older and more literary
Usage Note
A technical term more commonly called a 'clapper'. Learners are unlikely to need this sense in everyday conversation, but it appears in literature and descriptions of church bells.
a slip of the tongue
idiomA small mistake made when speaking, where you accidentally say the wrong word.
Christopher called his teacher 'Mum' by accident — it was just a slip of the tongue.
The politician's slip of the tongue cost him support from voters.
Used when you are certain that you know a word or name but cannot remember it at that moment.
Her name is on the tip of my tongue — wait, it's Elara!
The answer was on the tip of his tongue, but he could not quite say it.
bite your tongue
idiomTo force yourself not to say something that might upset someone or cause trouble.
I wanted to argue, but I bit my tongue and stayed quiet.
Aylin bit her tongue when her colleague made a rude comment about her work.
hold your tongue
idiomTo remain silent, especially when you would like to give your opinion.
The guard told the prisoner to hold his tongue during the trial.
Vikram knew he should hold his tongue, but the insult was too much.
cat got your tongue?
idiomA playful question asked when someone is unexpectedly silent or refuses to speak.
You have not said a word all evening — has the cat got your tongue?
The teacher asked the shy student, 'Well? Cat got your tongue?'
with tongue in cheek
idiomSaid or done in a humorous or ironic way, not meant to be taken seriously.
Her remark about the boss was made with tongue in cheek, but nobody laughed.
The article was written with tongue in cheek and should not be read as fact.
Tongue River
idiomA river 246 miles (396 kilometers) long that flows through northern Wyoming and southern Montana in the United States and joins the Yellowstone River.
The Tongue River flows north through Montana before reaching the Yellowstone River.
Farmers along the Tongue River rely on its water for irrigation during dry summers.
Used to ask someone why they are not speaking, especially when they are expected to answer.
Why are you so quiet? Cat got your tongue?
I asked Sara a question, but she just stared. Cat got her tongue?
To become able to speak or express your opinion after being silent.
After years of silence, the activist finally found her voice.
Diego was shy at first, but he soon found his tongue in the debate.
To manage to pronounce a difficult word or phrase correctly.
Mina couldn't get her tongue around the German word for squirrel.
Can you get your tongue around this Welsh place name?
have a loose tongue
idiomTo talk too much, often revealing private or secret information.
Brian has a loose tongue; he told everyone about the surprise party.
Be careful what you say around her; she has a loose tongue.
To remain silent even though you want to say something.
I wanted to argue, but I held my tongue to avoid a fight.
During the meeting, Aiden held his peace despite disagreeing.
To make someone talk more freely, often by giving them alcohol or making them feel relaxed.
A glass of wine loosened my grandmother's tongue about her youth.
The friendly atmosphere loosened the witness's tongue.
To be very easy to say or pronounce.
The name 'Luna' rolls off the tongue nicely.
That new product name doesn't exactly trip off the tongue.
To cause people to gossip or talk about someone's private life.
Maya's sudden resignation set tongues wagging at the office.
After the party, tongues were wagging about the host's behavior.
A small mistake made when writing or speaking.
I called you by the wrong name—just a slip of the tongue.
The email had a slip of the pen; it said 'Monday' instead of 'Tuesday'.
To be careful about what you say to avoid offending someone.
You'd better watch your tongue around the boss.
Watch your mouth, young man; that was rude.
Said in a joking or ironic way, not meant to be taken seriously.
He said it with tongue in cheek, but she took him seriously.
Her comment about moving to Mars was clearly with tongue in cheek.
tongue — verb
1. To use your tongue to briefly interrupt the flow of air into a wind instrument,
To use your tongue to briefly interrupt the flow of air into a wind instrument, producing clear, separated musical notes.
The trumpet player learned to tongue each note clearly and quickly.
tongue + each note = play with short interruptions
Dahlia practised tonguing for an hour to improve her clarinet speed.
The teacher showed Caleb how to tongue the staccato notes in the piece.
For this passage, the flutist must tongue every single note rather than slur them together.
Naoko struggled to tongue fast enough for the difficult jazz solo.
- tongue a note
- tongue each note
- tongue clearly
- double tongue
- triple tongue
- slur
to play notes smoothly without separating them with the tongue
Grammar Patterns
tongue + noun phrase
tongue + adverb
Usage Note
The opposite of tonguing is 'slurring', where notes are played without stopping the air. In musical notation, tongued notes are marked with dots above or below them (staccato).
2. To touch, lick, or gently move the tongue over a surface, usually to taste, clea
To touch, lick, or gently move the tongue over a surface, usually to taste, clean, or examine something.
The baby tongued the piece of bread before deciding to eat it.
tongue + food = explore with tongue
Eshe watched the snake tongue the air to sense its surroundings.
The dog tongued the bowl until every last piece of food was gone.
Vikram tongued his dry lips nervously before the job interview.
The cat sat quietly and tongued its paw to clean between each toe.
- tongue the air
- tongue one's lips
- tongue the food
Grammar Patterns
tongue + noun phrase
Usage Note
This verb is less common than 'lick'. It emphasizes a gentle, exploring, or deliberate movement of the tongue, whereas 'lick' can be quicker or more vigorous. Often used for animals or babies.
Word family
- tonguedadjectiveC1
- tongue-tiedadjectiveB2
- tonguelessadjectiveC2
- tonguingnounC2
- tongue-twisternounB2
Synonym discussion
Sense: noun/5
These five words all relate to how a person uses spoken language, but they highlight different aspects. 'Speech' is the broadest term — it covers accent, pace, clarity, and content. 'Delivery' focuses on the physical presentation: volume, tone, eye contact, and gestures during speaking. 'Diction' refers specifically to the choice and clarity of words; a person with good diction uses precise vocabulary and pronounces words clearly. 'Eloquence' is positive and describes fluent, persuasive, and graceful speaking that moves an audience. 'Articulation' overlaps with diction but emphasizes the mechanical clarity of producing speech sounds. Compare: a politician can have smooth delivery (confident presentation) but poor articulation (mumbling), while a professor might have excellent diction (choosing the perfect word) but a monotonous delivery (boring to listen to). In contrast, 'tongue' in noun sense 5 is always evaluative — it describes the emotional quality of speech (sharp, bitter, smooth) rather than its technical clarity or presentation.
Common collocations
Etymology
The word 'tongue' comes from Old English 'tunge', which meant both the body part and a language or speech. 'Tunge' traces back to Proto-Germanic '*tungōn', from the Proto-Indo-European root '*dn̥ǵʰwéh₂s', meaning 'tongue, speech, language'. This same ancient root gave rise to Latin 'lingua' (tongue, language), from which English later borrowed 'linguistics', 'language', and 'bilingual'. The spelling changed from Old English 'tunge' to Middle English 'tunge/tonge' and finally to Modern English 'tongue', though the 'gue' ending does not affect pronunciation and was added by analogy with other French-influenced spellings. The connection between the physical organ and the concept of language exists across many language families — a reminder that speaking is the tongue's most human function.