prong

1 of 2

noun

ˈprȯŋ 

ˈpräŋ

1

: fork

2

: a tine of a fork

3

: a slender pointed or projecting part: such as

a

: a fang of a tooth

b

: a point of an antler

4

: something resembling a prong

prong

2 of 2

verb

pronged; pronging; prongs

transitive verb

: to stab, pierce, or break up with a pronged device

Examples of prong in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The gold setting and the aqua stone clash; plus, the prongs are too big. —Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2024

The wire rack is pretty, but not well-designed: the prongs are close together, limiting the number of bottles that can be placed on them. —Sarah Bradley, Parents, 30 Sep. 2024

Verb

The chat reportedly suggested the members had strong ties to the police force, which then brought police corruption into the multi-pronged scandal. —Caitlin Kelley, Billboard, 24 Mar. 2019

Apparently, there's now a new twist on the classic shape, looking a little more modern with an oval center stone and spiky pronged diamonds surrounding it. —Katherine J. Igoe, Marie Claire, 2 Aug. 2019

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English pronge

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1785, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

prong

noun

ˈprȯŋ,

ˈpräŋ

1

: fork entry 1 sense 1

2

: one of the sharp points of a fork : tine

3

: a slender pointed part that sticks out (as on an antler)

4

: something resembling a prong

there are two prongs to the argument

pronged

ˈprȯŋd

ˈpräŋd

adjective