as in language
the stock of words, pronunciation, and grammar used by a people as their basic means of communication
he spoke in a tongue that I didn't understand
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Recent Examples of tongue
Using a cellphone, teammate Annika Isaacson took a picture of MacPherson, who stuck her tongue out at Isaacson then winked at her.
—
Don Norcross, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 June 2025
For decades, Ndebele, Mahlangu’s mother language, wasn’t considered its own separate tongue.
—Percy Zvomuya, Artforum, 1 June 2025
His mother wet a sponge to moisten his lips and tongue.
—Stephanie Armour, Miami Herald, 29 May 2025
Brushing, flossing, and using a tongue scraper can remove bacteria and improve taste perception.
—Fran Kritz, Verywell Health, 28 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for tongue
Don Norcross, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 June 2025
For decades, Ndebele, Mahlangu’s mother language, wasn’t considered its own separate tongue.
—Percy Zvomuya, Artforum, 1 June 2025
His mother wet a sponge to moisten his lips and tongue.
—Stephanie Armour, Miami Herald, 29 May 2025
Brushing, flossing, and using a tongue scraper can remove bacteria and improve taste perception.
—Fran Kritz, Verywell Health, 28 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for tongue
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tongue
Noun
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The government's 2011 population census found that a little more than 10% of Indians fluently speak the language.—
Omkar Khandekar,
NPR,
8 June 2025
-
Photosynthesis was such a profound development; so were eukaryotes, nervous systems and language.—
Philip Ball,
Wired News,
8 June 2025
Noun
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Zimbabwe and South Africa share in Rhodes a common ancestor; in Ndebele a language with a close connection to Zulu (the most spoken language in South Africa); and the common visual vocabulary sometimes called Ndebele art.—
Percy Zvomuya,
Artforum,
1 June 2025
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Of note is the incorporation of vocabulary from Ivan’s archaic Norm language, a special touch that entranced me.—
The Know,
Denver Post,
1 June 2025
Noun
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Weyman didn’t have long to prepare for the massive character milestone, but emphasized the importance of dialect to his portrayal of the Grey Wanderer.—
Lauren Coates,
Variety,
9 June 2025
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No More Officers often deal with documents in rare dialects, bad translations or messy handwriting.—
Raghu Para,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2025
Noun
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Unleashing Wood has ushered in an exciting new phase for a widely influential band that has defined a state-of-the-art jazz idiom deeply engaged with other genres.—
Andrew Gilbert,
Mercury News,
23 May 2025
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Scientists analyzed recordings of three groups of chimpanzees living in the Ivory Coast and found that chimps can combine their hoots, grunts and calls in a similar way to how humans use idioms or change the order of words to build new phrases.—
Evan Bush,
NBC news,
11 May 2025
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An Abbreviated History of American English Spelling
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Cite this Entry
“Tongue.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tongue. Accessed 17 Jun. 2025.
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