What does "tong" mean?
An instrument or tool used for manipulating things in a fire without touching them with the hands.
Tong
/tɔŋ/ name, noun, verb
name, noun, verb ·Uncommon ·Advanced level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: An instrument or tool used for manipulating things in a fire without touching them with the hands.
- Grammar: tong is listed as name, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: benevolent association, fraternal society, gripper, mutual aid society.
- Useful contrasts: fingers, hands, open organization.
- Usage evidence: The wealth gap is prevalent in Asia, attracting more white people to come to Asian countries for more privileges, according to Tong Yuying, professor of sociology at the Chinese University of Hong Kong specializing in social demography and migration.
How to use "tong"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "tong" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "tong" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "tong" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "tong" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "tong" is acting as name, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "benevolent association" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "tong", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 An instrument or tool used for manipulating things in a fire without touching them with the hands. plural
"[…] these attributes are concrete expressions of God's care and providence and therefore not man-made. This explains the quite bizarre presence of a ‘pair’ of tongs in some lists: in order to make a tong one needs a tong, and how could the first tong be made without a tong?"
- 2 A Chinese lineage organization responsible for managing ancestral land.
"An Ordinance to provide for the termination of the Block Crown Lease of Cheung Chau granted to Wong Wai Tsak Tong and for sub-lessees under the Block Crown Lease to hold directly from the Crown."
- 3 Obsolete spelling of tongue. alt-of, obsolete
"Or plaine and perfite way of teachyng children, to vnderstand, write, and speake, the Latin tong, but specially purposed for the priuate brynging vp of youth in Ientlemen and Noble mens houses, and commodious also for all such, as haue forgot the Latin tonge, and would, by themselues, without a Scholemaster, in short tyme, and with small paines, recouer a sufficient habilitie, to vnderstand, write, and speake Latin."
- 4 A Chinese secret society or gang.
Verb
- 1 To use tongs. intransitive
- 2 To grab, manipulate or transport something using tongs. transitive
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname. countable, uncountable
- 2 A place in the United Kingdom:; A hamlet in Headcorn parish, Maidstone district, Kent, England (OS grid ref TQ8346). countable, uncountable
- 3 A place in the United Kingdom:; A village and civil parish in eastern Shropshire, England (OS grid ref SJ7907). countable, uncountable
- 4 A place in the United Kingdom:; A small village in the Metropolitan Borough of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England (OS grid ref SE2230). countable, uncountable
- 5 A place in the United Kingdom:; A village north of Stornoway, Isle of Lewis, Western Isles council area, Scotland (OS grid ref NB4436). countable, uncountable
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"The wealth gap is prevalent in Asia, attracting more white people to come to Asian countries for more privileges, according to Tong Yuying, professor of sociology at the Chinese University of Hong Kong specializing in social demography and migration."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "tong"?
Common synonyms include: benevolent association, fraternal society, gripper, mutual aid society, secret society, tongs.
How do you use "tong" in a sentence?
The wealth gap is prevalent in Asia, attracting more white people to come to Asian countries for more privileges, according to Tong Yuying, professor of sociology at the Chinese University of Hong Kong specializing in social demography and migration.
How do you pronounce "tong"?
Pronounced /tɔŋ/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English tonge (“tongs, fang”), tange, from Old English tange, from Proto-West Germanic *tangu, from Proto-Germanic *tangō, from Proto-Indo-European *denḱ- (“to bite”). Cognate with Old Norse tǫng (modern Icelandic töng), Old High German zanga (modern German Zange). Other cognates include Sanskrit दशति (dáśati, “to bite”) and Albanian dang (“bite, nip”).
Etymology 2
From Cantonese 堂 (tong⁴).
Etymology 3
For the surname: Borrowed from Cantonese 湯／汤 (tong1), Cantonese 唐 (tong4), Mandarin 佟 (Tóng), Mandarin 童 (Tóng), etc.