tongman

[ tawng-muhn, tong- ]

noun

, plural tong·men.

1. a member of a Chinese tong.

Word History and Origins

Origin of tongman¹

An Americanism dating back to 1880–85; tong ² + man

Example Sentences

Brown and Sprague acknowledge that their harvests are bigger than the average tongman's.

From Time Magazine Archive

The culprit talked freely about a much more interesting compatriot named Chin Joo Hip in Butte, Mont. Chin Joo Hip, a wrinkled, cadaverous tongman with drooping white mustaches, received a call from the agent, who pretended to be the nephew of a rich Pacific Coast gangster.

From Time Magazine Archive

Of this daring feat no tongman seems to tire.

From Time Magazine Archive