tong

¹tong

noun \ˈtäŋ, ˈtȯŋ\

Definition of TONG

:  a secret society or fraternal organization especially of Chinese in the United States formerly notorious for gang warfare

Origin of TONG

Chinese (Guangdong) tòhng, literally, hall

First Known Use: 1883

Rhymes with TONG

Chang, Fang, gong, hong, Huang, prong, Shang, Tang, yang

²tong

verb

Definition of TONG

transitive verb

:  to take, gather, hold, or handle with tongs <tong oysters>

intransitive verb

:  to use tongs especially in taking or gathering something

— tong·er \ˈtäŋ-ər, ˈtȯŋ-\ noun

Origin of TONG

tongs

First Known Use: 1868