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

The corn hits first, a gentle, buttery sweetness that plays against the cornmeal’s subtle grit, while the cheddar melts into pockets of gooey tang.

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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.

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

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

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

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