tongue tie
/ˈtʌŋˌtaɪ/
verb
- To make someone unable to speak freely or clearly, often due to shyness, surprise, or confusion.
- Public speaking often tongue-ties even confident people.
- Her nervousness tongue-tied her during the interview.
- The sudden question tongue-tied him, and he just stood there silently.
noun
- A medical condition in which the strip of skin under the tongue (the frenulum) is too short or tight, limiting tongue movement.
- A simple surgery can fix a tongue-tie in children.
- The dentist diagnosed her tongue-tie and recommended a frenectomy.
- The baby had trouble breastfeeding because of a tongue-tie.
Synonyms