tonga

noun

ton·​ga ˈtäŋ-gə How to pronounce tonga (audio)
: a light 2-wheeled vehicle for two or four persons drawn by one horse and common in India

Word History

Etymology

Hindi & Urdu tāṅgā

First Known Use

1874, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of tonga was in 1874

Browse Nearby Entries

Cite this Entry

“Tonga.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tonga. Accessed 27 Feb. 2025.

Geographical Definition

Tonga

geographical name

Ton·​ga ˈtäŋ-gə How to pronounce Tonga (audio)
ˈtäŋ-ə,
ˈtȯŋ-ä
islands in the southwestern Pacific east of Fiji

Note: The Tonga Islands comprise a kingdom in the Commonwealth of Nations; capital Nuku'alofa area 288 square miles (747 square kilometers), population 106,400

More from Merriam-Webster on tonga

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!