[tongue] n [ME tunge, fr. OE; akin to OHG zunga tongue, L lingua] (bef. 12c) 1 a: a fleshy movable process of the floor of the mouths of most vertebrates that bears sensory end organs and small glands and functions esp. in taking and swallowing food and in humans as a speech organ b: a part of various invertebrate animals that is analogous to the tongue
2: the flesh of a tongue (as of the ox or sheep) used as food
3: the power of communication through speech
4. a: language; esp: a spoken language b: manner or quality of utterance with respect to tone or sound, the sense of what is expressed, or the intention of the speaker "she has a clever ~" "a sharp ~" c: ecstatic usu. unintelligible utterance accompanying religious excitation--usu. used in pl. d: the cry of or as if of a hound pursuing or in sight of game--used esp. in the phrase to give tongue
5: a tapering flame "~s of fire"
6: a long narrow strip of land projecting into a body of water 7: something resembling an animal's tongue in being elongated and fastened at one end only: as a: a movable pin in a buckle b: a metal ball suspended inside a bell so as to strike against the sides as the bell is swung c: the pole of a vehicle d: the flap under the lacing or buckles of a shoe at the throat of the vamp
8. a: the rib on one edge of a board that fits into a corresponding groove in an edge of another board to make a flush joint b: feather
4. -- tongue.like adj
[2]tongue vb tongued ; tongu.ing vt (14c) 1 archaic: scold
2: to touch or lick with or as if with the tongue 3 a: to cut a tongue on "~ a board" b: to join (as boards) by means of a tongue and groove "~ flooring together"
4: to articulate (notes) by tonguing ~ vi 1: to project in a tongue
2: to articulate notes on a wind instrument by successively interrupting the stream of wind with the action of the tongue