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tong

1

[ tawng, tong ]

noun



verb (used with object)

  1. to lift, seize, gather, hold, or handle with tongs, as logs or oysters.

verb (used without object)

  1. to use, or work with, tongs.

tong

2

[ tawng, tong ]

noun

  1. (in China) an association, society, or political party.
  2. (among Chinese living in the U.S.) a fraternal or secret society, often associated with criminal activities.

tong

1

/ tɒŋ /

verb

  1. to gather or seize with tongs
  2. to curl or style (hair) with curling tongs
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012


tong

2

/ tɒŋ /

noun

  1. (formerly) a Chinese secret society or association, esp one popularly assumed to engage in criminal activities
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Other Words From

  • tonger noun
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Word History and Origins

Origin of tong1

before 900; 1865–70, tong 1fordef 2; Middle English tong ( e ) (singular), tongen, tonges (plural), Old English; cognate with Dutch tang, German Zange pair of tongs or pincers; akin to Greek dáknein to bite

Origin of tong2

1880–85, Americanism; < dialectal Chinese (Guangdong) tòhng, akin to Chinese táng meeting hall
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Word History and Origins

Origin of tong1

C20: from Chinese (Cantonese) t'ong meeting place
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Idioms and Phrases

see hammer and tongs .
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Example Sentences

His mother was born in 1912 in Tong, about three miles from Stornoway, the main town on the isle of Lewis.

From BBC

Mary succeeded her mother at 13 Tong, but it was the smallest of the crofts in Tong.

From BBC

After her marriage to Malcolm MacLeod, they were able to acquire the Smiths' original croft of 5 Tong and move there.

From BBC

Mary Anne Trump's paternal MacLeods came from Vatisker, a few miles further north of Tong.

From BBC

Gordon Chan Kum Tong scored a late consolation try for the tourists in an entertaining contest.

From BBC

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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