tang

¹

[tang]

noun

1. a strong taste or flavor.

   Synonyms: savor

2. the distinctive flavor or quality of a thing.

3. a pungent or distinctive odor.

4. a touch or suggestion of something; slight trace.

   Synonyms: hint, taste

5. a long and slender projecting strip, tongue, or prong forming part of an object, as a chisel, file, or knife, and serving as a means of attachment for another part, as a handle or stock.

6. a surgeonfish.

verb (used with object)

1. to furnish with a tang.

tang

²

[tang]

noun

1. a sharp ringing or twanging sound; clang.

verb (used with or without object)

1. to ring or twang; clang.

T'ang

³

Or Tang

[tahng]

noun

1. a dynasty in China, a.d. 618–907, marked by territorial expansion, the invention of printing, and the high development of poetry.

tang

¹

/ tæŋ /

noun

1. a strong taste or flavour

   the tang of the sea

2. a pungent or characteristic smell

   the tang of peat fires

3. a trace, touch, or hint of something

   a tang of cloves in the apple pie

4. the pointed end of a tool, such as a chisel, file, knife, etc, which is fitted into a handle, shaft, or stock

Tang

²

/ tæŋ /

noun

1. the imperial dynasty of China from 618–907 _ad

Word History and Origins

Origin of tang¹

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English tange “tongue of a snake, projection on a tool,” perhaps from Old Norse tangi “projection, headland, tang of a blade”

Origin of tang²

First recorded in 1660–70; imitative; ting ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of tang¹

C14: from Old Norse tangi point; related to Danish tange point, spit

Example Sentences

You can choose baby Swiss if you like creamy mildness, but I love the nutty tang of an aged wedge — it lingers just enough to remind you it’s there.

From Salon

The orange sauce — almost candy-sweet with a citrus tang — is cooked with real orange peels and dried Szechuan peppers.

From Los Angeles Times

Think of tang as punctuation: it makes each bite snap, balances richness and keeps your loaded fries from tipping into monotony.

From Salon

The crunch, the sweet, the tang, the salt.

From Salon

“Salty like the ocean, but not the Dead Sea” wasn’t abstract advice; it was an invitation to taste and adjust, to smell the mineral tang in the water and feel it on your fingers.

From Salon