tong

1 of 2

noun

ˈtäŋ How to pronounce tong (audio)
ˈtȯŋ
: a secret society or fraternal organization especially of Chinese in the U.S. formerly notorious for gang warfare

tong

2 of 2

verb

tonged; tonging; tongs

transitive verb

: to take, gather, hold, or handle with tongs
tong oysters

intransitive verb

: to use tongs especially in taking or gathering something
tonger
ˈtäŋ-ər How to pronounce tong (audio)
ˈtȯŋ-
noun

Examples of tong in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
How to clean blinds and plantation shutters easily Supplies: Kitchen tongs 2 sponges Rubber bands Instructions: Wet sponges and squeeze excess water out of each sponge before attaching them to tongs. Maryal Miller Carter, USA TODAY, 10 Mar. 2024 The baby snake was the color of straw, with smoky markings down its body, as though it had been repeatedly pinched by hot tongs. Rebecca Giggs, The New Yorker, 19 Feb. 2024 Using tongs, carefully turn octopus over and grill another 5 minutes. Mary G. Pepitone, Kansas City Star, 24 Jan. 2024 The best-selling ice bucket kit includes a bin, scooper, and tongs to make the set party-ready. Gabriela Izquierdo, Southern Living, 31 Jan. 2024 Pitchers, ice tongs, ice buckets and serving trays are also good choices. Charlotte Observer, 30 Jan. 2024 Using tongs, transfer the hot towels into a plastic bag. Maryal Miller Carter, USA TODAY, 19 Jan. 2024 Increase oven temperature to 450°; continue to cook wings, flipping with tongs halfway through, until skin is very crisp and golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes. Ana Calderone, Peoplemag, 4 Feb. 2024 Add the romaine leaves; use tongs or salad utensils to toss the salad, coating the lettuce evenly. Becky Krystal, Charlotte Observer, 31 Jan. 2024
Verb
His business is quite a bit different from that of traditional watermen, who tong the bottom of the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries for wild oysters. Washington Post, 22 Dec. 2020

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tong.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Chinese (Guangdong) tòhng, literally, hall

Verb

tongs

First Known Use

Noun

1883, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1868, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of tong was in 1868

Dictionary Entries Near tong

Cite this Entry

“Tong.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tong. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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