Tong Definition & Meaning

American

British

Idioms

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Examples

tong 1 American [tawng, tong] / tɔŋ, tɒŋ /

noun

1. tongs.

verb (used with object)

1. to lift, seize, gather, hold, or handle with tongs, as logs or oysters.

verb (used without object)

1. to use, or work with, tongs.

tong 2 American [tawng, tong] / tɔŋ, tɒŋ /

noun

1. (in China) an association, society, or political party.

2. (among Chinese living in the U.S.) a fraternal or secret society, often associated with criminal activities.

tong 1 British / tɒŋ /

verb

1. to gather or seize with tongs

2. to curl or style (hair) with curling tongs

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 tong 2 British / tɒŋ /

noun

1. (formerly) a Chinese secret society or association, esp one popularly assumed to engage in criminal activities

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 tong Idioms

1. see hammer and tongs.

Other Word Forms

• tonger noun

Etymology

Origin of tong1

before 900; 1865–70, tong 1 for def. 2; Middle English tong ( e ) (singular), tongen, tonges (plural), Old English; cognate with Dutch tang, German Zange pair of tongs or pincers; akin to Greek dáknein to bite

Origin of tong2

1880–85, < dialectal Chinese (Guangdong) tòhng, akin to Chinese táng meeting hall

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

In addition to Wu, authors of the study "Break-induced replication is activated to repair R-loop-associated double-strand breaks in SETX-deficient cells" include Tong Wu, Youhang Li, Yuqin Zhao and Sameer Bikram Shah of Scripps Research; and Linda Z. Shi of the University of California San Diego.

From Science Daily

"Ovarian cancer remains one of the deadliest gynecological malignancies, characterized by late diagnosis, high recurrence rates, and limited effective treatment options," said Dr. Siyao Tong of Khon Kaen University, lead author of the article in Frontiers in Pharmacology.

From Science Daily

"However, this study has some limitations," Tong added.

From Science Daily

Ronny Tong, a member of Hong Kong's Executive Council, disputed the suggestion that Hong Kongers are being suppressed.

From BBC

It will begin with Tong and The Essential Orchestra putting a classic spin on his iconic Ibiza Classics live album.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.