tongs
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Writing a short explanation…
Written by a house AI from the entry below, in your language. The entry itself is the source.
tongs¹
- /tɒŋz/ UK
- /tɔŋz/ US
- /tɑŋz/ cot caught merger
Rhymes with -ɒŋz, -ɔːŋz
Where it comes from
From Middle English tonges, equivalent to tong (“tool for manipulating things in a fire”) + -s.
noun
- An instrument or tool used for picking things up without touching them with the hands or fingers, consisting of two slats or grips hinged at the end or in the middle, and sometimes including a spring to open the grips. There was also hairdressing: hairdressing, too, really was hairdressing in those times — no running a comb through it and that was that. It was curled, frizzed, waved, put in curlers overnight, waved with hot tongs;[…].
- A large scissors-like two-piece center-hinged forged-iron implement with oval-loop handles and with pointed tips turned inward (in the same plane as and perpendicular to the handles) to facilitate lifting and carrying a block of ice. Often called ice tongs.
tongs²
- /tɒŋz/ UK
- /tɔŋz/ US
- /tɑŋz/ cot caught merger
Rhymes with -ɒŋz, -ɔːŋz
noun
- plural of tong (“instrument”)
tongs³
- /tɒŋz/ UK
- /tɔŋz/ US
- /tɑŋz/ cot caught merger
Rhymes with -ɒŋz, -ɔːŋz
verb
- third-person singular simple present indicative of tong
tongs⁴
- /tɒŋz/ UK
- /tɔŋz/ US
- /tɑŋz/ cot caught merger
Rhymes with -ɒŋz, -ɔːŋz
noun
- plural of tong (“Chinese secret society”)
Tongs⁵
proper noun
- plural of Tong
Translations
Every language
noun instrument
| Español | pinzas, tenacillas, tenazuelas |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 집게 jipge |
| 日本語 | -挟み -basami, -箸 -bashi, e.g., パンばさみ panbasami, 火箸 hibashi, トング tongu |
| 中文 | 鉗子 /钳子 qiánzi |
| हिन्दी | चिमटा cimṭā |
| Kiswahili | koleo, makoleo |
| Português | tenaz, pinça, pegador |
| Français | pinces |
| Deutsch | Greifer, Zange, Greifzange, Grillzange, Küchenzange, Nudelzange |
| Italiano | tenaglie, pinzetta |
| Ελληνικά | λαβίδες lavídes |
| Română | clește |
| Русский | схва́ты sxváty, щипцы́ ščipcý |
| Tiếng Việt | cái gắp đá |
| العربية | كَلْبَتَان kalbatān |
| עברית | מלקחת melkakhat |
Talk about this word "tongs." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/tongs. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. tongs. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/tongs "tongs." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/tongs.Cite this
@misc{tongs_2026,
title = {tongs},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/tongs},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
