tong

¹

[tawng, tong]

noun

1. tongs.

verb (used with object)

1. to lift, seize, gather, hold, or handle with tongs, as logs or oysters.

verb (used without object)

1. to use, or work with, tongs.

tong

²

[tawng, tong]

noun

1. (in China) an association, society, or political party.

2. (among Chinese living in the U.S.) a fraternal or secret society, often associated with criminal activities.

tong

¹

/ tɒŋ /

verb

1. to gather or seize with tongs

2. to curl or style (hair) with curling tongs

tong

²

/ tɒŋ /

noun

1. (formerly) a Chinese secret society or association, esp one popularly assumed to engage in criminal activities

Other Word Forms

• tonger noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of tong¹

before 900; 1865–70, tong ¹ for def. 2; Middle English tong ( e ) (singular), tongen, tonges (plural), Old English; cognate with Dutch tang, German Zange pair of tongs or pincers; akin to Greek dáknein to bite

Origin of tong²

1880–85, < dialectal Chinese (Guangdong) tòhng, akin to Chinese táng meeting hall

Word History and Origins

Origin of tong¹

C20: from Chinese (Cantonese) t'ong meeting place

Idioms and Phrases

see hammer and tongs.

Example Sentences

The IEA has "confirmed that no single country can stop the energy transition, with oil and coal demand to peak by 2030 in its business-as-usual scenario", said David Tong, global industry campaign manager at Oil Change International, a non-profit advocacy group.

Read more on Barron's

Katy Perry, Teddy Swims and Pete Tong have been announced as the first headliners for next summer's new Blenheim Palace Festival.

Read more on BBC

It will begin with Tong and The Essential Orchestra putting a classic spin on his iconic Ibiza Classics live album.

Read more on BBC

"The unexpected finding is that sticking to a short eating window less than eight hours over years was linked to increased death risk from cardiovascular disease," says Prof Zhong, an epidemiologist at Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine in China.

Read more on BBC

Tong will join a team that finds itself in the middle of a playoff race.

Read more on Los Angeles Times