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• tang
  tang

  noun

  a strong taste or flavor.
• T'ang
  T'ang

  noun

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

  noun

  the imperial dynasty of China from 618–907 _ad

tang

¹ American  

[tang] / tæŋ /

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.

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verb (used with object)

1. to furnish with a tang.

tang ² American  

[tang] / tæŋ /

noun

1. a sharp ringing or twanging sound; clang.

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verb (used with or without object)

1. to ring or twang; clang.

T'ang ³ American  

[tahng] / tɑŋ /

Or Tang

noun

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

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tang ¹ British  

/ 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

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Tang ² British  

/ tæŋ /

noun

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

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Etymology

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; see ting ¹

Explanation

A tang is a sharp flavor or smell, like the tang of fresh-squeezed lemonade or the tang of the salty ocean breeze. When you eat something sour, you taste a tang, like the tang of blue cheese or vinegar in your salad. Although it's no longer available today, Tang was also the name of a tangy, sugary orange drink that was especially popular in the 1960s and 70s. From a root word meaning "to bite," tang's original meaning was "serpent's tongue."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

tang T'ang Tang

It adds tang, salinity, and helps loosen the dip to your ideal consistency.

From Salon ● Jul. 7, 2026

“You won’t miss the statue,” the clerk said, the slightest tang of exasperation in his tone.

From Slate ● Jun. 2, 2026

The citric acid that adds tang to sugary drinks and the silica that gives toothpaste its grit are made with it, too.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 9, 2026

It adds moisture, tenderness, and just enough tang to make things interesting.

From Salon ● Apr. 28, 2026

She thought she heard Pet chuckle softly before it obliged her by fading into emptiness, leaving a tang of pride in the air behind it.

From "Pet" by Akwaeke Emezi

References to “domino cards” existed as early as the T’ang Dynasty, which lasted from 618-907 AD.

From National Geographic ● Nov. 3, 2023

From the hand-painted cards of T’ang Dynasty China to paper-and-plastic Pokémon trading cards, the history of playing cards spans cultures, epochs, and continents.

From National Geographic ● Nov. 3, 2023

By the time the Pekingese had become a proper breed during the T’ang dynasty, only the Chinese imperial family was allowed to keep them.

From Time ● Feb. 15, 2012

His Gentleman and Attendants borrows T'ang Dynasty props, slims down the earlier plump models to suit Ming tastes, and comes off as a triumph in space and contrasts.

From Time Magazine Archive

The T’ang, allied with the Silla kingdom, swept down from the north and pushed their way into Puyo.

From "A Single Shard" by Linda Sue Park

Ki Tang and Park Ng are locals, insatiable eaters.

From Salon ● Aug. 9, 2026

Apple, for its part, accuses OpenAI’s head of hardware Tang Tan, a former vice president of design at Apple, of using his knowledge of unreleased Apple products to extract information from job candidates.

From Barron's ● Aug. 7, 2026

“I think people are antsy about it, because they just don’t know whether Warsh will come up and surprise us,” Tang said.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 18, 2026

But Apple also accused OpenAI’s hardware chief, Tang Tan, of soliciting trade secrets from its employees interviewing for jobs, and encouraging them to bring “actual parts” from Apple for “show and tell” sessions at OpenAI.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 12, 2026

And we were not the only Tang people with kinsmen and friends.

From "Dragonwings" by Laurence Yep