tongue

/tʌŋ/
noun
  1. The soft, movable part inside the mouth that is used for tasting, licking, and speaking.
    • A dog uses its tongue to drink water.
    • The doctor asked her to stick out her tongue.
    • He burned his tongue on the hot soup.
  2. A language or system of speech.
    • The poem was written in his native tongue.
    • Learning a new tongue takes time and practice.
    • She speaks in a foreign tongue.
  3. A narrow strip of leather or fabric under the laces of a shoe.
    • Make sure the tongue is straight before you tie the laces.
    • She replaced the worn tongue on her hiking boots.
    • The tongue of his shoe kept slipping to the side.
  4. A long, thin piece of metal or wood that is part of a bell, buckle, or other object.
    • The tongue of the bell struck the side with a clear ring.
    • The old clock's tongue moved back and forth.
    • He adjusted the tongue of the buckle to fit the belt.
verb
  1. To use the tongue to produce a sound on a musical instrument, especially a wind instrument.
    • The trumpeter learned to tongue the notes quickly.
    • He practiced tonguing to improve his flute playing.
    • She tongued each note clearly during the solo.