prong en · NOUN
Pronunciation
Etymology
From Middle English pronge, perhaps from Middle Low German prange (“stick, restraining device”), from prangen (“to press, pinch”), from Old Saxon *prangan, from Proto-West Germanic *prangan, from Proto-Germanic *pranganą (“to press”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)preng- (“to wrap up, constrict”). Akin to Lithuanian spriñgti (“to choke, become choked or obstructed”), Latvian sprañgât (“cord, constrict”), Ancient Greek σπαργανόω (sparganóō, “to swaddle”), σπάργανον (spárganon, “swaddling cloth”). See also prank, prance, prink.
Meanings
-
A thin, pointed, projecting part, as of an antler or a fork or similar tool.
a pitchfork with four prongs
a comb with prongs
-
(figuratively, sometimes) A branch; a fork.
the second prong of the argument
the two prongs of a river
-
(Cornwall) A fork (agricultural tool).
[…] a tradition is recorded that a man called 'Ralph' resided in this cavern for many years, and, with a prong as his weapon, successively kept the bailiffs at bay.
1874, Mary Elizabeth Whitcombe, Bygone days in Devonshire and Cornwall, page 104:
-
(colloquial) The penis.
2008, Andy Zaltzman on The Bugle podcast, episode 34, You Will Know Us By Our Knobbly Fruit. Hang on... That looks like... No, it can't be. Is that my wang!? Micky Paintbrush, have you painted my papal prong on that nudy man!?
One look at that lifeguard's prong gave me a throbber like a baseball bat — not quite that big, of course, but at least that hard!
1977, John Ironstone, Orphan, page 102:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| prongs | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
prong-set · multiprong · prong-billed barbet · pronghorn · prongy · pronglike · prongbuck
Relateds
Synonyms
Translations (90)
bg зъбец (thin, pointed, projecting part) · mk забец (thin, pointed, projecting part) · de Stift (thin, pointed, projecting part) · nl punt (thin, pointed, projecting part) · ru отро́г (thin, pointed, projecting part) · nn tind (thin, pointed, projecting part) · pl ząb (thin, pointed, projecting part) · is gaddur (thin, pointed, projecting part) · gl galla (thin, pointed, projecting part) · es punta (thin, pointed, projecting part) · da spids (thin, pointed, projecting part) · nb tind (thin, pointed, projecting part) · fr dent (thin, pointed, projecting part) · fi kärki (thin, pointed, projecting part) · nl tand (thin, pointed, projecting part) · cs hrot (thin, pointed, projecting part) · de Zinke (thin, pointed, projecting part) · de Zacke (thin, pointed, projecting part) · mk парог (thin, pointed, projecting part) · grc στόρθυγξ (thin, pointed, projecting part) · de Stachel (thin, pointed, projecting part) · es prolongación (thin, pointed, projecting part) · it rebbio (thin, pointed, projecting part) · ru рожо́к (thin, pointed, projecting part) · gl puga (thin, pointed, projecting part) · sk vetva (branch) · es púa (thin, pointed, projecting part) · es puya (thin, pointed, projecting part) · ro dinte (thin, pointed, projecting part) · nl piek (thin, pointed, projecting part) · fi haara (branch) · it punta (thin, pointed, projecting part) · de Sprosse (thin, pointed, projecting part) · pt ramo (branch) · mi kātara (thin, pointed, projecting part) · es vástago (thin, pointed, projecting part) · sk vetva (thin, pointed, projecting part) · da gren (branch) · pl grot (thin, pointed, projecting part) · pl kolec (thin, pointed, projecting part) · ru шпенёк (thin, pointed, projecting part) · vi ngạnh (branch) · sk výbežok (thin, pointed, projecting part) · nl spits (thin, pointed, projecting part) · mk гранка (branch) · da tand (thin, pointed, projecting part) · ota چاتال (thin, pointed, projecting part) · sv udd (thin, pointed, projecting part) · de Stab (thin, pointed, projecting part) · de Zacken (thin, pointed, projecting part) · de Zweig (branch) · sk hrot (thin, pointed, projecting part) · ga beangán (thin, pointed, projecting part) · pl szpica (thin, pointed, projecting part) · sv spets (thin, pointed, projecting part) · nl arm (branch) · hu fog (thin, pointed, projecting part) · pl badyl (of an antler) (thin, pointed, projecting part) · fr broche (thin, pointed, projecting part) · it ramificazione (branch) · de Krappe (thin, pointed, projecting part) · gl dente (thin, pointed, projecting part) · pt braço (branch) · bg разклонение (branch) · es fierrito (thin, pointed, projecting part) · pt dente (thin, pointed, projecting part) · hu ág (branch) · vi răng (branch) · tl sanga ng sungay (thin, pointed, projecting part) · ru ветвь (branch) · de Ende (thin, pointed, projecting part) · de Dorn (thin, pointed, projecting part) · de Arm (branch) · fr pointe (thin, pointed, projecting part) · it dente (thin, pointed, projecting part) · ro braț (branch) · fr bras (branch) · gl galla (branch) · hu ág (thin, pointed, projecting part) · ru зубе́ц (thin, pointed, projecting part) · fi piikki (thin, pointed, projecting part) · sv klo (thin, pointed, projecting part) · pt ponta (thin, pointed, projecting part) · it ramo (branch) · sv led (thin, pointed, projecting part) · it biforcazione (branch) · ca pua (thin, pointed, projecting part) · ga beangán (branch) · es gajo (thin, pointed, projecting part) · sk kolík (thin, pointed, projecting part)