definitions

tongue-tie

[ tuhng-tahy ]
/ ˈtʌŋˌtaɪ /
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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR tongue-tie ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

impeded motion of the tongue caused especially by shortness of the frenum, which binds it to the floor of the mouth.

verb (used with object), tongue-tied, tongue-ty·ing.

to make tongue-tied.

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RELATED WORDS

stifle, suppress, censor, choke, repress, restrain, muffle, squelch, muzzle, subdue, mute, gag, quell, quash, constrain, restrict, prevent, stop, squash, shush

Nearby words

tongue-and-groove joint, tongue-in-cheek, tongue-lash, tongue-lashing, tongue-swallowing, tongue-tie, tongue-tied, tongue-twister, tongued, tonguefish, tongueless

Origin of tongue-tie

First recorded in 1545–55; back formation from tongue-tied
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for tongue-tie

  • A deficient or excessive development of the lingual frenulum may also interfere with the movements of the tongue (tongue-tie).

    Pedagogical Anthropology|Maria Montessori

  • The child was taken to a physician who operated and corrected the tongue-tie.

    Civics and Health|William H. Allen

British Dictionary definitions for tongue-tie

tongue-tie

noun

a congenital condition in which the tongue has restricted mobility as the result of an abnormally short frenulum
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Medicine definitions for tongue-tie

tongue-tie

n.

Restricted mobility of the tongue resulting from abnormal shortness of the frenum.ankyloglossia
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.