fang

1 of 2

noun (1)

ˈfaŋ 

1

a

: a long sharp tooth: such as

(1)

: one by which an animal's prey is seized and held or torn

(2)

: one of the long hollow or grooved and often erectile teeth of a venomous snake

b

: one of the chelicerae of a spider at the tip of which a poison gland opens

2

: the root of a tooth or one of the processes or prongs into which a root divides

3

: a projecting tooth or prong

fanged

ˈfaŋd 

adjective

Fang

2 of 2

noun (2)

ˈfaŋ  ˈfäŋ 

variants or less commonly Fan

ˈfan 

ˈfän

plural Fang or Fangs also Fan or Fans

1

: a member of a Bantu-speaking people of northern Gabon, mainland Equatorial Guinea, and southern Cameroon

2

: the language of the Fang people

Example Sentences

Noun (1)

the fangs of a rattlesnake

a tiger baring its fangs

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

In hollow fangs, the venom gland runs inside the fang as though running through a tube. —Charlotte Hu, Discover Magazine, 16 Sep. 2018

What no one knows yet is just how sharp its fangs are. —Tim Stelloh, NBC News, 30 May 2020

Declines in consumption as sugar grew fangs in the public sphere. —USA Today, 13 May 2020

Molly After showing her fangs at her new law firm, Molly (Yvonne Orji) remains on top professionally. —Keyaira Boone, Essence, 11 Apr. 2020

But this week, as COVID-19 sank its fangs deeper into the region, declared a worldwide pandemic by the World Health Organization, the crowd at the restaurant shrunk to half the usual number. —Soleil Ho, SFChronicle.com, 14 Mar. 2020

Nia is obsessed with vampire fiction, so AJ pretends to be a vampire, with Halloween fangs and fake blood. —Maria Russo, New York Times, 28 Feb. 2020

Commonly, this training involves introducing the dog to a rattlesnake without fangs or venom. —John Gordon, Outdoor Life, 11 Feb. 2020

Jolie plays Maleficent’s struggle to connect both for laughs — yikes, those fangs! — and pathos. —BostonGlobe.com, 17 Oct. 2019

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Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, that which is taken, from Old English; akin to Old High German fang seizure, Old English fōn to seize — more at pact

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1555, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun (2)

1861, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

fang

noun

ˈfaŋ 

1

a

: one of the long sharp teeth which are used by an animal to seize, hold, and tear apart its prey

b

: one of the long hollow or grooved teeth of a poisonous snake

2

: a root of a tooth

fanged

ˈfaŋd 

adjective

Medical Definition

fang

noun

ˈfaŋ 

1

a

: a long sharp tooth: as

(1)

: one by which an animal's prey is seized and held or torn

(2)

: one of the long hollow or grooved and often erectile teeth of a venomous snake

b

: one of a spider's chelicerae at the tip of which a poison gland opens

2

: the root of a tooth or one of the processes or prongs into which a root divides

fanged

ˈfaŋd 

adjective