lingua

noun

lin·​gua ˈliŋ-gwə How to pronounce lingua (audio)
plural linguae ˈliŋ-ˌgwē How to pronounce lingua (audio) -ˌgwī How to pronounce lingua (audio)
: a tongue or an organ resembling a tongue

Examples of lingua in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
French, Chinese, and Arabic have served as lingua francas at one time or another, but almost no one is fluent in Esperanto, the global linguistic mash-up. IEEE Spectrum, 28 June 2012 For one thing, linguine — long, lithe, dinner-level satisfying — comes from the Italian word lingua, which means tongue. Amy Drew Thompson, orlandosentinel.com, 27 Oct. 2021 Ubisoft consulted with native Welsh speakers, 13th-century Icelandic texts, and Gaelic scholars to create the game's lingua-scape. Save this story for later. Amy Briscoe, Wired, 21 Apr. 2021 Periwinkle snails infected with the trematode species Cryptocotyle lingua, for instance, eat significantly less algae along their Atlantic coast homes, because the parasite weakens their digestive tracts. Ben Panko, Smithsonian, 7 Sep. 2017

Word History

Etymology

Latin — more at tongue

First Known Use

circa 1826, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of lingua was circa 1826

Dictionary Entries Near lingua

Cite this Entry

“Lingua.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lingua. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.

Medical Definition

lingua

noun
lin·​gua ˈliŋ-gwə How to pronounce lingua (audio)
plural linguae -ˌgwē How to pronounce lingua (audio) -ˌgwī How to pronounce lingua (audio)
: a tongue or an organ resembling a tongue in structure or function
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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