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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

The buttery, milder fish compliments the tang of the tomatoes and the bright balsamic dressing that finishes the salad.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 7, 2026

Stirred into potato salad, it contributes not only seasoning but a subtle lactic tang that would otherwise require additional ingredients to achieve.

From Salon ● Jun. 2, 2026

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

From Slate ● Jun. 2, 2026

Buttermilk contributes tang and lift, sharpening the sweetness and helping the cake rise with a lighter hand.

From Salon ● Mar. 31, 2026

The morning air is sharp with the tang of burning wood, rubber, paint, sugar— whatever was in those warehouses along the river.

From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin

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

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

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

Against this force the Chinese could muster a large but poorly armed, undertrained army under a good general, burly Veteran T'ang En-po.

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

Derek Tang, co-founder of LH Meyer/Monetary Policy Analytics, agreed there is lingering doubt in the market.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 18, 2026

Apple sued OpenAI and its chief hardware officer, Tang Tan, alleging they stole trade secrets to develop competing devices.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026

Smart glasses have been slowly growing in usage, but the category overall faces several barriers to mainstream adoption, said Flora Tang, principal analyst at Counterpoint Research.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 27, 2026

Tang Capital Management raised its stake in the biopharmaceutical company to 13,044,106 shares.

From Barron's ● Jun. 12, 2026

We spent a half hour over tea, talking about the Tang people’s town and our respective families back in the Middle Kingdom, and how the boycott had affected them.

From "Dragonwings" by Laurence Yep