Tongue I Tʌŋ Speak Speaking Word Noun Clicked

• he clicked his tongue to attract their attention.
• she ran her tongue over her lips.
• it's very rude to stick your tongue out at people.
• a slice of ox tongue

tongue

1. the soft part in the mouth that moves around, used for tasting, swallowing, speaking, etc.
• He clicked his tongue to attract their attention.
• She ran her tongue over her lips.
• It's very rude to stick your tongue out at people.

Extra Examples

• The dog lay in a patch of shade with its tongue hanging out.
• The snake's tongue flicked out of its mouth.
2. the tongue of some animals, cooked and eaten
• a slice of ox tongue
3. a language
• SEE ALSO mother tongue
  https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/mother-tongue
• None of the tribes speak the same tongue.
• I tried speaking to her in her native tongue.

Extra Examples

• The market place was full of people speaking many strange tongues.
• She could hear men whispering in a foreign tongue.
• She speaks English and Danish, though her native tongue is German.
4. a particular way of speaking
• SEE ALSO silver tongue
  https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/silver-tongue
• He has a sharp tongue.
• I'll thank you to keep a civil tongue in your head (= speak politely).
5. speaking in the way mentioned
• sharp-tongued
6. a long, narrow piece of leather under the laces on a shoe
7. something that is long and narrow and like a tongue in shape
• a tongue of flame
8. to stop yourself from saying something that might upset somebody or cause an argument, although you want to speak
• I didn't believe her explanation but I bit my tongue.
9. said to somebody, especially a child, who stays silent when expected to speak, for example after being asked a question
• What's the matter? Cat got your tongue?
10. to be able to speak or express your opinion
11. to pronounce a difficult word correctly
• He was having trouble getting his tongue around my name.
12. to talk too much, especially about things that are private
13. to say nothing although you would like to give your opinion
14. to make somebody talk more freely than usual
• A bottle of wine had loosened Harry's tongue.
15. if a word or name is on the tip of your tongue, you are sure that you know it but you cannot remember it
16. to be easy to say or pronounce
• It's not a name that exactly trips off the tongue, is it?
17. to cause people to start talking/people are talking about somebody’s private affairs
• His sudden resignation set tongues wagging.
• This is a small island and tongues are beginning to wag.
18. a small mistake in something that you write or say
• Did I call you Richard? Sorry, Robert, just a slip of the tongue.
• I didn't mean to say that—it was just a slip of the tongue.
19. to be careful what you say in order not to offend somebody or make them angry
20. if you say something with your tongue in your cheek, you are not being serious and mean it as a joke

Word Origin

• Old English tunge, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch tong, German Zunge, and Latin lingua.