tong

1 of 2

noun

ˈtäŋ How to pronounce tong (audio)
ˈtȯŋ
: a secret society or fraternal organization especially of Chinese in the U.S. formerly notorious for gang warfare

tong

2 of 2

verb

tonged; tonging; tongs

transitive verb

: to take, gather, hold, or handle with tongs
tong oysters

intransitive verb

: to use tongs especially in taking or gathering something
tonger
ˈtäŋ-ər How to pronounce tong (audio)
ˈtȯŋ-
noun

Examples of tong 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.
Noun
The tongs for the salad case sat on top of an air vent. David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 11 Feb. 2025 Flip the potato skins over using tongs and bake another 7-9 minutes, or until crisp. Darcy Lenz, Southern Living, 6 Feb. 2025
Verb
His business is quite a bit different from that of traditional watermen, who tong the bottom of the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries for wild oysters. Washington Post, 22 Dec. 2020 See All Example Sentences for tong

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Chinese (Guangdong) tòhng, literally, hall

Verb

tongs

First Known Use

Noun

1883, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1868, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of tong was in 1868

Browse Nearby Entries

Cite this Entry

“Tong.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tong. Accessed 1 Mar. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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