tong

Meaning

Noun

An instrument or tool used for manipulating things in a fire without touching them with the hands.

Verb

1. To use tongs.
2. To grab, manipulate or transport something using tongs.

Concepts

tong

tongs

clamp

fork over

grip

nip

pinch

forceps

pincer

plier

Pronounced as (IPA)

/tɒŋ/

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”).