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.

Synonyms

tongs

forceps

fork over

grip

clamp

🗜️

pincer

pinch

plier

nip

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”).