lingual
Americanadjective
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of or relating to the tongue or some tonguelike part.
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pertaining to languages.
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Phonetics. articulated with the aid of the tongue, especially the tip of the tongue, as d, n, s, or r.
noun
adjective
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anatomy of or relating to the tongue or a part or structure resembling a tongue
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rare of or relating to language or languages
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( in combination )
polylingual
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articulated with the tongue
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of lingual
1350–1400; Middle English: tongue-shaped surgical instrument < Medieval Latin linguālis. See lingua, -al 1
Explanation
Something that's lingual has something to do with tongues — it's near a tongue, looks like a tongue, or is caused by a tongue. The lingual side of your teeth is the side closest to your tongue. If you fall and bite your tongue, you suffer a lingual injury, and when you brush your tongue after finishing with your teeth, you could call it a lingual cleaning. Because speech sounds are formed with the help of the tongue, things related to language are also lingual. A skilled lingual learner is good at picking up languages, for example. The Latin root, lingua, unsurprisingly, means "tongue."
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.
Fiona and Ben were told by a midwife that they would be better off getting tongue-tie surgery, also known as a lingual frenotomy, privately, as there would be a long wait on the NHS.
From BBC ● Aug. 31, 2024
He also suggested Patient A underwent a lingual tongue-tie release, which he said would allow her to rest with her tongue on the roof of her mouth and strengthen the jaw.
From BBC ● Nov. 14, 2022
It seemed likely that the author was aware of the potential of those words to challenge “She sells sea shells by the sea shore” in the lingual dexterity sweepstakes.
From Washington Post ● Aug. 9, 2022
The division is both geographical and lingual: ancient Sumerian is not related to any modern language, but the Akkadian family of languages was Semitic, related to modern languages like Arabic and Hebrew.
From Textbooks ● Jan. 1, 2020
So far as my lingual incapacity goes, I might be one of the great geniuses of the age; and very probably I am, too, without knowing it!
From The Dodd Family Abroad, Vol. II by Charles James Lever
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.
