From Middle English tonge (“tongs, fang”), tange, from Old English tange, from Proto-West Germanic *tangu, from Proto-Germanic *tangō, from Proto-Indo-European *denḱ- (“to bite”). Cognate with Old Norse tǫng (modern Icelandic töng), Old High German zanga (modern German Zange). Other cognates include Sanskrit दशति (dáśati, “to bite”) and Albanian dang (“bite, nip”).
Meanings
(plural) An instrument or tool used for manipulating things in a fire without touching them with the hands.
[…] these attributes are concrete expressions of God's care and providence and therefore not man-made. This explains the quite bizarre presence of a ‘pair’ of tongs in some lists: in order to make a tong one needs a tong, and how could the first tong be made without a tong? 1998, Alberdina Houtman, Marcel Poorthuis, Joshua Schwartz, editors, Sanctity of time and space in tradition and modernity, page 232:
From Middle English tonge (“tongs, fang”), tange, from Old English tange, from Proto-West Germanic *tangu, from Proto-Germanic *tangō, from Proto-Indo-European *denḱ- (“to bite”). Cognate with Old Norse tǫng (modern Icelandic töng), Old High German zanga (modern German Zange). Other cognates include Sanskrit दशति (dáśati, “to bite”) and Albanian dang (“bite, nip”).
Meanings
(intransitive) To use tongs.
(transitive) To grab, manipulate or transport something using tongs.
pt atazanar (to use tongs) · de mit einer Zange greifen (to grab, manipulate or transport something using tongs) · ru захвати́ть щипца́ми (to grab, manipulate or transport something using tongs) · cmn 鉗起 /钳起 (to use tongs) · hy աքցան օգտագործել (to use tongs) · it attanagliare (to use tongs) · hy ունելի օգտագործել (to use tongs) · fr pincer (to grab, manipulate or transport something using tongs) · pt atenazar (to grab, manipulate or transport something using tongs) · pt atazanar (to grab, manipulate or transport something using tongs) · pl złapać obcęgami (to grab, manipulate or transport something using tongs) · it aggranfiare (to grab, manipulate or transport something using tongs) · hy ունելիով վերցնել (to grab, manipulate or transport something using tongs) · it afferrare (to grab, manipulate or transport something using tongs) · hy աքցանով վերցնել (to grab, manipulate or transport something using tongs) · cmn 夾起 /夹起 (to use tongs) · es usar tenaza (to use tongs) · pl używać obcęgów (to use tongs) · es usar tenaza (to grab, manipulate or transport something using tongs) · ru испо́льзовать щипцы́ (to use tongs) · vi kẹp (to grab, manipulate or transport something using tongs) · pt atanazar (to use tongs) · it pinzare (to use tongs) · pl łapać obcęgami (to grab, manipulate or transport something using tongs) · cmn 钳起 (to grab, manipulate or transport something using tongs) · vi dùng kìm (to use tongs) · pt atenazar (to use tongs) · vi dùng kẹp (to use tongs) · pl użyć obcęgów (to use tongs) · it attanagliare (to grab, manipulate or transport something using tongs) · it abbrancare (to grab, manipulate or transport something using tongs) · fr pincer (to use tongs) · de mit einer Zange halten (to use tongs) · pt atanazar (to grab, manipulate or transport something using tongs)
A Chinese lineage organization responsible for managing ancestral land.
An Ordinance to provide for the termination of the Block Crown Lease of Cheung Chau granted to Wong Wai Tsak Tong and for sub-lessees under the Block Crown Lease to hold directly from the Crown. 1995, Legislative Council of Hong Kong, “Block Crown Lease (Cheung Chau) Ordinance”, in Hong Kong Government Gazette, page A2772:
Or plaine and perfite way of teachyng children, to vnderstand, write, and speake, the Latin tong, but specially purposed for the priuate brynging vp of youth in Ientlemen and Noble mens houses, and commodious also for all such, as haue forgot the Latin tonge, and would, by themselues, without a Scholemaster, in short tyme, and with small paines, recouer a sufficient habilitie, to vnderstand, write, and speake Latin. 1570, Roger Ascham, The Scholemaster: