01 n. an organ situated in the floor of the mouth of most vertebrates and connected with the hyoid arch.
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1.
an organ situated in the floor of the mouth of most vertebrates and connected with the hyoid arch.(Anat.)“To make his English sweet upon his tongue.” — Chaucer.
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2.
The power of articulate utterance; speech.“Parrots imitating human tongue.” — Dryden.
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3.
Discourse; fluency of speech or expression.“Much tongue and much judgment seldom go together.” — L. Estrange.
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4.
Honorable discourse; eulogy.[Obs.]“She was born noble; let that title find her a private grave, but neither tongue nor honor.” — Beau. & Fl.
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5.
A language; the whole sum of words used by a particular nation; as, the English tongue.“Whose tongue thou shalt not understand.” — Deut. xxviii. 49.“To speak all tongues.” — Milton.
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6.
Speech; words or declarations only; -- opposed to thoughts or actions.“My little children, let us love in word, neither in tongue, but in deed and in truth.” — 1 John iii. 18.
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7.
A people having a distinct language.“A will gather all nations and tongues.” — Isa. lxvi. 18.
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8.
The lingual ribbon, or odontophore, of a mollusk.(Zool.)
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9.
Any small sole.(Zool.)
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10.
That which is considered as resembing an animal's tongue, in position or form.
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11.
A projection, or slender appendage or fixture; as, the tongue of a buckle, or of a balance.
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12.
A projection on the side, as of a board, which fits into a groove.
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13.
A point, or long, narrow strip of land, projecting from the mainland into a sea or a lake.
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14.
The pole of a vehicle; especially, the pole of an ox cart, to the end of which the oxen are yoked.
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15.
The clapper of a bell.
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16.
A short piece of rope spliced into the upper part of standing backstays, etc.; also. the upper main piece of a mast composed of several pieces.(Naut.)
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Phrases & compounds
To hold the tongue —
to be silent.
Tongue bone —
the hyoid bone.
Tongue grafting —
See under Grafting.
Syn.
Language; speech; expression. See Language.