n. n. The principal organ of the special sense of taste or the gustatory faculty; the lingual apparatus, or lingua.n. Specifically, in cookery, a beef's tongue prepared for the table: as, smoked tongue.n. In conchology, the lingual ribbon, or odontophore, bearing the radula, or rasping surface. a structure highly characteristic of those mollusks which have heads, as gastropods. See the technical names (with cuts under radula and ribbon).n. In entomology, some mouth-part or conformation of mouth-parts serving as a tongue or suggesting one; a proboscis; a haustellum; an antlia: as, the long spirally rolled tongue of a butterfly or moth; specifically, the central lobe of the ligula of a mandibulate insect. See the technical words, and cut under haustellum.n. In various figurative uses, the faculty or mode of speech; speech.n. The act or habit of speaking; utterance; discourse; sometimes, fluency of speech; talk.n. The manner of speaking as regards sound; voice; tone; specifically, in sporting language, the voice of a hound or other dog: as, to give tongue.n. The character of speech with regard to meaning or intention.n. The mode or form of expression; especially, the sum of the words used by a particular nation; a language.n. Words or declarations only; mere speech or talk, as opposed to thoughts or actions.n. A people or race, as distinguished by its language.n. (h ) Mention; fame; eulogy.n. A vote; a voice.n. Anything considered to resemble an animal's tongue in shape, position, or function.n. Especially— A long narrow strip of land running out into a sea or lake; also, a gulf or outstretched bay (Isa. xi. 15).n. A tapering jet of flame.n. The pin or tang of a buckle or brooch which pierces the strap, ribbon, or object to be fastened.n. The short movable rail of a switch by which the wheels are directed to one or the other line of rails.n. The pole of a carriage, car, or other vehicle, to which the horses are fastened.n. A projecting strip worked on the edge of a board, used to form a joint by fitting into a corresponding groove in another board.n. The pointer or pin of a balance. See cut under balance.n. (h ) Nautical, a short piece of rope spliced into the upper part of standing backstays to form an eye; also, the upper piece of a built inast.n. The vibratile reed of a musical instrument of the reed group, particularly if made of metal, as in the harmonium, the concertina, etc. Compare cuts under reed.n. The clapper of a bell.n. That part of the blade of a sword on which the grip, shell, and pommel are fixed.n. A narrow strip of leather or kid, over which the uppers or sides of a boot or shoe are laced together.n. A young or small sole. Compare tongue-fish.n. The sting of a bee.n. The movable arm of a bevel, the principal member being the stock, which forms the case when the instrument is closed. E. H. Knight. See cut under bevel.n. A current-of water, narrow, deep, and smooth, running rapidly between rocks without breaking or twisting; a sled-run. A tongue is well-known to anglers as a favorite resting-place of salmon in their laborious ascent of rapid streams.n. One of the seven (later eight) divisions or “nations” composing the order of the Hospitalers; also, a meeting of a division.n. A fever which prevailed in the western United States in the winter of 1842–3.n. An inflammation of the tongue occurring in some forms of epidemic erysipelas.n. Synonyms . Tongue is the Anglo-Saxon equivalent for language. See language.To chide; scold; reproach.To speak; utter.In playing on musical wind-instruments, to modify or interrupt the tone of by means of a stroke of the tongue, so as to produce a marcato or staccato effect, as in the flute, the cornet, etc. See tonguing. Also tip.To join or fit together by means of a tongue and groove. See the phrase.To talk; prate: with indefinite it.In music, to use the tongue for the purpose of modifying sounds in playing the flute and some other wind-instruments.To run out; project: as, a point of land tongues out into the sea.