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Showing results for tongue-tie. Search instead for tonguetie.
Synonyms

tongue-tie

American  
[tuhng-tahy] / ˈtʌŋˌtaɪ /

noun

  1. 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-tying

  1. to make tongue-tied.

tongue-tie British  

noun

  1. 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

Etymology

Origin of tongue-tie

First recorded in 1545–55; back formation from tongue-tied

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

An estimated 7% of babies are diagnosed with a condition called tongue-tie, in which the connection between the tongue and the floor of the mouth is too strong and limits tongue movement.

From Science Daily • Apr. 29, 2024

Ms. Henstrom is part of a booming industry of lactation consultants and dentists that aggressively markets the procedures, even for babies that have no signs of tongue-tie and despite a small risk of serious complications.

From New York Times • Feb. 15, 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

Bolting of food or overeating results in vomiting and gas, and thus interferes with normal nursing, as also may tongue-tie.

From The Mother and Her Child by Sadler, William S.

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.