英语词汇“tongue”的英英意思、用法、释义、翻译、读音、例句、短语、词组-英语词典

单词

tongue

释义

tongue¹ nountongue² verb

tonguetongue1 /tʌŋ/ S3 W3 noun

MENU FOR tonguetongue1 mouth2 click your tongue3 sharp tongue4 silver tongue5 sharp-tongued/silver-tongued etc6 with (your) tongue in (your) cheek7 slip of the tongue8 bite your tongue9 Cat got your tongue?10 get your tongue around something11 trip/roll off the tongue12 loosen somebody’s tongue13 find your tongue14 set tongues wagging15 keep a civil tongue in your head16 speak with forked tongue17 speak in tongues18 language19 food20 shape21 shoe

WORD ORIGINtongue

Origin:

Old English tunge

EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES

Russian is not a tongue I speak.
The computer, for disabled people, is operated using your tongue.

EXAMPLES FROM THE CORPUS

Always soft and fuzzed with pocket lint, they would sit on his tongue like dry bitter cotton.
As soon as he saw the tongues, he knew.
Her tongue turned black and choked her.
She moistened her lips with the tip of her tongue and his sudden tension told her she was right.

Longman Language Activatorthe first language that you learn as a child► somebody's first language

the first language you learn as a child - use this when you are comparing someone's first language with other languages that they learn later: · My first language is Dutch.· My daughter has several classmates whose first language is Bengali.

► somebody's mother tongue

the first language you learn as a child - use this especially to talk about someone who now lives in a country where a different language is spoken: · We run classes for students whose mother tongue is not English.

► native speaker

a native speaker of a language is someone who learned that language first as a child: · The book is aimed at learners of English rather than native speakers.native speaker of: · There has been an assumption in the past that anyone who is a native speaker of English is equipped to teach English.

mistake► mistake

something incorrect that you do, say, or write without intending to: · Your essay is full of mistakes.· Celia corrected the mistakes with a pen.mistake in: · a tiny mistake in their calculationsmake a mistake: · Sampras was playing badly, making a lot of mistakes.there's a mistake: · There must be some mistake - I definitely paid the bill last week.

► error

a mistake - use this especially to talk about mistakes in calculating or in using a language, system, or computer: · An error occurred in the processing of your application.error in: · There seems to be an error in the data.human error (=when a mistake is caused by people, not by a machine): · The report concluded that the accident was caused by human error.computer error (=a mistake caused by a computer): · Over 50 people were denied a vote through a computer error.

► slip

a small unimportant mistake that is easy to make: make a slip: · Don't worry -- we all make slips from time to time.· People doing this kind of precision work can't afford to make the slightest slip.

► slip-up

a careless mistake that may spoil a plan or process: · This whole situation only happened because of a slip-up by the bank.· If we are going to win the contract, we can't afford any more slip-ups.

► mix-up

a careless mistake that causes confusion about details, for example someone's name, the time of a meeting etc: · The police have now returned Mr Sullivan's car and apologized for the mix-up.mix-up over: · There was a mix-up over the train times and I arrived two hours late.mix-up in: · I'm afraid there's been a mix-up in the booking - we were expecting you tomorrow.

► oversight

a mistake that you make by not noticing something or by forgetting to do something: · I'm sure it was just an oversight that your name wasn't on the list.· The bank apologized for the oversight.· Due to an administrative oversight, several members of staff did not receive pay checks this month.

► slip of the tongue

when you accidentally say a different word from the word you intended to say, sometimes with embarrassing results: · He quickly corrected his unfortunate slip of the tongue.· Did I say "Harlow"? Sorry, I meant "Harrow". It was just a slip of the tongue.

► boob

British /booboo American informal a silly mistake, especially one that amuses people: · We labelled the pictures with the wrong names, but the boob was spotted by one of our readers.make a boob/booboo: · Whoops! I think I've made a booboo.

► howler

a very bad mistake, especially one that shows you do not know something: · He read out a selection of howlers from students' exam answers.

to remember something with difficulty► vaguely remember

if you vaguely remember something, you can remember it slightly but not all the details are clear: · She still vaguely remembered her father, a distant figure who was barely ever there.vaguely remember that: · I do vaguely remember, now that Kerry mentions it, that Pete was at the party.vaguely remember what/how/who etc: · Bob, who'd been a vet in the army, vaguely remembered how to use a tourniquet.vaguely remember doing something: · He vaguely remembered meeting her in a club the night of the concert.

► have a hazy/vague recollection

to be able to remember that something happened but not be able to remember the details clearly, especially because you did not notice the details at the time: · I do sort of remember meeting him, but I have only a hazy recollection.have a hazy/vague recollection of: · Davis claims he has only a vague recollection of the rape.have a hazy/vague recollection of doing something: · The next day she had a hazy recollection of getting drunk and dancing in a fountain.

► be on the tip of your tongue

if a name or word is on the tip of your tongue , you usually know it but have difficulty remembering it at the present moment: · His name's on the tip of my tongue. I'll think of it in a minute.· What was that place where they'd had dinner? It was on the tip of her tongue.

► ring a bell

if something, especially a name, rings a bell , you remember that you have seen or heard it before but you are now not sure of the details: · The name rings a bell, but I can't place it at the moment.ring a bell with: · "Gentle Ben's Brewing Company" will ring a bell with anyone who has lived in Arizona.

not saying anything► silent

especially written not speaking: · Phil was silent for a moment as he thought about his reply.remain silent: · I wanted to say 'please don't go', but instead I remained silent, and she left.fall silent (=become silent): · The woman fell silent, though she kept darting angry glances at Jessica.

► be lost for words/be at a loss for words

to be unable to say anything because you are very surprised or because you are not prepared for the situation that has suddenly happened: · No matter what happens he never seems lost for words.· She stared at his letter, clearly at a loss for words.

► be struck dumb

to be suddenly unable to say anything because you are extremely surprised or shocked and cannot believe what has happened: · Amy was struck dumb. Was it possible that her own son had deceived her?be struck dumb with: · When he arrived at the scene of the disaster, he was struck dumb with horror and amazement.

► clam up

informal to suddenly become unwilling to talk: · He always clams up when I ask him about his job -- do you think he's doing something illegal?· The police took her in for questioning, but she clammed up when they asked about her boyfriend.

► speechless

unable to say anything because you are very angry, surprised, or upset: · Anna was speechless. She had never seen such luxury before.speechless with: · Laura stared at him, absolutely speechless with rage.leave/render somebody speechless (=make someone speechless): · His words dented her pride and left her speechless.

► tongue-tied

unable or unwilling to say anything because you are nervous or embarrassed: · She became tongue-tied when she looked at the handsome man sitting beside her.· Nervousness affects people in different ways. While some people become tongue-tied, others cannot stop talking.

► I don't know what to say

spoken say this when someone gives you an unexpected present, or does something bad or shocking, and you cannot express how happy, angry etc you feel: · You're so kind! I don't know what to say.· Well, I don't know what to say. It's absolutely disgraceful!

► words fail me

spoken say this when you are so shocked or angry that you cannot think of anything to say to express how you feel: · Just look at this mess. Look at it. It's...Words fail me!

► bite your tongue

to not say anything even though you want very much to say what you think: · I had to bite my tongue to stop myself telling Neil exactly what I thought of his stupid plan.· She's so temperamental that even if you disagree with her it's better to bite your tongue and say nothing.

to talk about other people's private lives► gossip

to spend time talking without a serious purpose, usually about other people's private lives or behaviour: · It's best not to tell Frank anything. You know how he gossips.gossip about: · Those two old ladies sit there every day, gossiping about everyone in town.

► talk

if you say that people talk , you mean that they talk about other people's private lives and behaviour, usually in a disapproving way: · We mustn't be seen together in public again. People are starting to talk.

► talk about somebody behind their back

to talk about someone when they are not present: · I hate people who talk about you behind your back and then pretend to be nice to you when they meet you.

► tongues are wagging

used for saying that many people are talking about someone's private life in an unkind or disapproving way: · Tongues are wagging about Hollywood's newest couple.set tongues wagging (=cause people to start talking about you): · Thurmond's marriage so soon after his wife died set tongues wagging.

WORD SETS► Clothes & Fashion

accessory, nounalter, verbappliqué, nounarmband, nounarmhole, nounbag, nounbejewelled, adjectivebillfold, nounboater, nounbow, nounbowler, nounbow tie, nounbraid, nounbraid, verbbreast-pocket, nounbrim, nounbum bag, nounbust, nounbutton, nounbutton-down, adjectivebuttonhole, nouncape, nounchecked, adjectivecivvies, nounclasp, nouncleat, nounclingy, adjectiveclothes brush, nounclothes hanger, nounclutch bag, nouncoat check, nouncoat hanger, nouncoatroom, nouncobbler, nouncockade, nouncocktail dress, nouncodpiece, nouncollar, nouncollar stud, nouncolour-coordinated, adjectivecolourfast, adjectivecorsage, nouncostume, nouncoveralls, nouncravat, nouncrinkly, adjectivecut, noundark glasses, noundarn, verbdarn, noundart, noundécolletage, noundetailing, noundiadem, noundiaphanous, adjectivedishevelled, adjectivedowdy, adjectivedown-at-heel, adjectivedress, noundress, verbdressed, adjectivedressmaker, noundress sense, noundressy, adjectiveepaulette, nounfacing, nounfancy dress, nounfinery, nounfleecy, adjectivefop, noungarb, noungather, verbgingham, noungold-rimmed, adjectivegranny, adjectivegroom, verbhabit, nounhandbag, nounherringbone, nounknit, verbknitwear, nounline, verblined, adjectiveliner, nounlingerie, nounlining, nounlivery, nounlocker room, nounmade-to-measure, adjectivemade-to-order, adjectivemakeover, nounmodel, nounmodel, verbmodelling, nounmohair, nounname tag, nounnatty, adjectiveneckline, nounout, adverbpack, nounparasol, nounpinstripe, nounplaid, nounpleat, nounpleated, adjectiveplume, nounplumed, adjectiveplunging neckline, nounpocket, nounpocketbook, nounpocket handkerchief, nounpolka dot, nounpompom, nounpopper, nounpouch, nounpower dressing, nounpress, verbproof, verbpurse, nounraffish, adjectiveragged, adjectiverail, nounretro, adjectivesalon, nounsensible, adjectivesequin, nounset, verbshoeshine, nounshoulder bag, nounshoulder pad, nounshoulder strap, nounsingle-breasted, adjectivesize, nounsleeve, nounsleeveless, adjectivesling, nounsmocking, nounsoigné, adjectivespangle, nounsportswear, nounstarch, verbstitch, nounstud, nounstudded, adjectivetack, verbtail, nountailor, nountailored, adjectivetailoring, nountapered, adjectivetartan, nountatters, nounthread, nounthread, verbtie-dye, verbtie-pin, nountoe, nountoecap, nountoggle, nountongue, nountoupée, nountrainer, nountrimmings, nountrouser press, nounturn-up, nountweedy, adjectiveunbecoming, adjectiveundress, noununmentionables, nounvalet, nounwallet, nounwear, verbwearer, nounweatherproof, adjectivewell-dressed, adjectivewell-groomed, adjectivewristband, nounzip, nounzipper, noun

COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY► stuck out ... tongue

The girl scowled at me, then stuck out her tongue.

► mother/native tongue

(=the language you learn as a child)

She felt more comfortable talking in her native tongue.

COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES► click your tongue

(=make a short sound with your tongue to show disapproval)· She clicked her tongue in annoyance.

► somebody has a sharp tongue

(=they speak in a very disapproving way which often upsets people)

► stick ... tongue out

Don’t stick your tongue out. It’s rude!

COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADJECTIVE► long

· The chameleon will then dart out its long, sticky-tipped tongue, impale the insect and swallow it.· A long tongue came out of the lamb's mouth as it licked its lips.· Her skin is blue-black, she has a long red tongue, and snakes twine about her body.· The wolf walked round and round the bushes, with his angry yellow eyes and his long black tongue.· Flickers use this amazingly long tongue to feed on ants.· His/her long muscular tongue lashed and probed the air like a sense organ as if to supplement his/her tiny shrunken eyes.

► native

· An assistant began waving his arms and talking to the dealer noisily in his native tongue.· At first it seems the girls are singing in their native tongue.· The words, in his native tongue, were few and easy to learn.· But for most of us our native tongue is alive and constantly shifting.· It was weird, because it sure sounded like my native tongue.· It is perfectly possible to communicate with little or no such similarity or else children would never learn their native tongue.

► pink

· A vast pink tongue was hanging out of the creature's mouth between a pair of the longest, sharpest teeth imaginable.· As he got closer I could hear his breathing as well, and I saw his pink tongue sweep across his lips.· As they get older, the puppies can expect to see their pink tongues turn a distinctive bluey black colour.· A pink tongue darted uncertainly over his lips and he swallowed hard.

► sharp

· Only that you have a sharp tongue and an undisciplined sister, neither of which attributes I find endearing.· Oh, she has the sharpest tongue!· She was still slightly in awe of Violette, her worldliness, her sharp tongue.· How I try to punish my parents with my sharp tongue.· They opened their mouths to show her sharp tongues and teeth, ready to bite, gobble her up.· There was a sharp little tongue under all that glamour.· If Toyah cuts that easily she'd better watch herself on Linda's sharp tongue.· Nobody but nobody commented on Maggie's shapely form - not unless they wanted acid dripping on them from that sharp tongue.

► silver

· Ruth thought it more likely that his silver tongue had got around her.· A man with a silver tongue like you should be out making a million dollars for himself, like my son.· But unlike Douglass he had no oratorical gift, no passionate language, no silver tongue.

VERB► bite

· Polly battled on, practically biting her tongue in half.· He could have bitten his tongue off the moment he said them, but it was already too late.· Tell them to bite their tongues.· Burun clenched his fists and bit his tongue to stop himself from shouting out.· Ivan Yerineev was thrown to the ground and bit off his tongue.· But they want a pink one, so Ralph takes out a pink one, bites his tongue.· Always ready to knock on wood, throw salt over my shoulder, bite my tongue, cross my fingers.

► click

· The clock clicks its tongue ... trial and error.· Kha Yang clicked his tongue then.· He clicked his tongue, the cob plodded resolutely forward and so did I. And it was easy!· Young women came and joined in, everyone popping fingers on cheeks and clicking tongues.· I sigh and click my tongue at these, of course.· There was a human quality, too, to the noise, as if several women were clicking their tongues at great speed.· Church speculated with a long-range squirt, clicking his tongue in self-reproach as he did.

► cut

· They cut out their tongues and on the seventeenth day they all died.· He seized her and cut out her tongue.· After a day of torture, when they wanted to get some sleep, they would cut the prisoners' tongues out.

► fork

· Her head appears, piercing eyes and forked tongue.· Lifting up its small triangular head, the viper licked the air as if to write some-thing with its forked tongue.· All the buildings shook, and at the same time a forked tongue of flame burst upward through the cloud.

► hold

· Out of sheer curiosity I held my tongue, and waited.· Those who hold that tongue speaking is the defining characteristic of pentecostalism insist on the Topeka advent.· You have to avoid being Nellie-know-all and hold your tongue to allow a younger generation to enjoy the fun of discovery.· This hypothesis holds that giant tongues of material were torn from the preexisting Sun by the gravitational attraction ofa passing star.· Some shoes now boast a split tongue or an elasticated band which holds the tongue in place.· Chastised, Elder Brother held his tongue, turning to look at Jinju as if to seek her support.· Learn to hold your tongue, Mistress Philippa, else grief will come of it.· Jim was struggling to hold his tongue when Carole knocked on his door and walked in.

► loosen

· A few coppers would be enough to loosen her tongue.· Zeal for a cause dissolved his timidity and loosened his tongue.

► roll

· This committee compromise is unlikely to roll off anyone's tongue.· Answers rolled off her tongue with well. oiled ease.· Most have spent all their sentient life as paid-up devotees, and the glib phrases soon roll off the tongue.· She took a swig and rolled it around her tongue like mouthwash.

► run

· There in the dawn he grasped the envelope and ran his tongue across its darkly luminous cuff.· He ran his tongue down her neck.· Blanche nodded slowly and ran her tongue over her lips.· Dunne rolled another cigarette, running his tongue slowly along the glued edge of the brown paper.· The room revolved round her and she ran her tongue over suddenly dry lips.· That slate face cracked pink, ran a tongue the color of strawberry ice cream over the lips.· With excruciating slowness and delicacy he sucked it before running his tongue in the space between the last two toes.· I ran my tongue over its rough surface and felt its salty effervescence.

► speak

· And, for the first time in eighteen years, she spoke in tongues.· They speak with other tongues, which is embarrassing and distasteful to many non-members of the Pentecostal scene.· Nor did he invent that particularly intense expression of yearning called speaking in tongues.· He seems transformed, as though he is speaking in tongues.· The first time I ever heard anyone speak in tongues I found it strange, fascinating, and a little frightening.

► stick

· Stuart sighed and Linda Paterson stuck out her tongue at him.· Mitchell turned around lust in time to see her stick her tongue out at him.· With her eyes still crossed, she stuck her tongue out and tried to curl it upwards.· He told him to stick out his tongue and held his hand.· She stuck out her tongue. ` Anyway, emergency medicine is great stuff.· If children on the programme stick their tongues out, we don't condemn it.· Like a child sticking out its tongue, they seemed to be saying, I know something you don't know.· As I watched it soar over the crossbar,.Jamir stuck his tongue out in ridicule and blew a raspberry.

► trip

· Names trip off his tongue with an ease bred through familiarity.· A name which trips off the tongue.· For a nasty moment I thought she'd tripped over her tongue and hurt herself.

PHRASES FROM THE ENTRY► with (your) tongue in (your) cheek► slip of the tongue

Did I say "Harlow"? Sorry, I meant "Harrow". It was just a slip of the tongue.
He quickly corrected his unfortunate slip of the tongue.
In an apparent slip of the tongue, Ms. Bianchi referred to Omaha as Oklahoma.
He had made an unfortunate slip of the tongue himself.
Much of the humour derives from slips of the tongue, an occupational hazard.
One slip of the tongue would have betrayed all I was working for.
They both use the same root consonants, which are rearranged as in a dream or a slip of the tongue.

► bite your tongue

Always ready to knock on wood, throw salt over my shoulder, bite my tongue, cross my fingers.
But they want a pink one, so Ralph takes out a pink one, bites his tongue.
He's not and would be wise to bite his tongue.
It's all very well telling some one to bite their tongue and not fight back.
Polly battled on, practically biting her tongue in half.
Tell them to bite their tongues.
Whatever the reason, Dauntless bit his tongue and resolved to put up with Cleo Sinister.

► Cat got your tongue?

What's happened to all your brains, Frankie boy? Cat got your tongue?

► get your tongue around something

I couldn't get my tongue around the consonants.

► trip/roll off the tongue

A name which trips off the tongue.
Most have spent all their sentient life as paid-up devotees, and the glib phrases soon roll off the tongue.

► loosen somebody’s tongue► find your tongue

When she came into the room, I had trouble finding my tongue.
She moved her mouth about a bit to see if she could find her tongue.

► set tongues wagging► keep a civil tongue in your head► click your tongue

Church speculated with a long-range squirt, clicking his tongue in self-reproach as he did.
He clicked his tongue, the cob plodded resolutely forward and so did I. And it was easy!
I sigh and click my tongue at these, of course.
Kha Yang clicked his tongue then.
The clock clicks its tongue ... trial and error.
There was a human quality, too, to the noise, as if several women were clicking their tongues at great speed.

► speak with forked tongue

The governor has been known to speak with forked tongue.

► speak in tongues

Hearing people in the church speak in tongues fascinated me.
And, for the first time in eighteen years, she spoke in tongues.
He seems transformed, as though he is speaking in tongues.
If you spoke in tongues you were baptized by the Spirit, if you did not you were not.
Nor did he invent that particularly intense expression of yearning called speaking in tongues.
Teenage girls returned from that camp with stories of speaking in tongues and exorcising evil spirits.
The first time I ever heard anyone speak in tongues I found it strange, fascinating, and a little frightening.
They prance about with their eyes closed, speaking in tongues.
When he is speaking in tongues, the pattern is always the same.

► sharp tongue

How I try to punish my parents with my sharp tongue.
If Toyah cuts that easily she'd better watch herself on Linda's sharp tongue.
Nobody but nobody commented on Maggie's shapely form - not unless they wanted acid dripping on them from that sharp tongue.
Oh, she has the sharpest tongue!
Only that you have a sharp tongue and an undisciplined sister, neither of which attributes I find endearing.
She was still slightly in awe of Violette, her worldliness, her sharp tongue.
The men are white-haired and silent, the women dark-haired with sharp tongues.
They opened their mouths to show her sharp tongues and teeth, ready to bite, gobble her up.

► silver tongue

A man with a silver tongue like you should be out making a million dollars for himself, like my son.
But unlike Douglass he had no oratorical gift, no passionate language, no silver tongue.
Ruth thought it more likely that his silver tongue had got around her.

► sharp-tongued/silver-tongued etcPHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES► bite your tongue

I'm just biting my tongue for now. If she wants to ask my advice, she can.
I had to bite my tongue to stop myself telling Neil exactly what I thought of his stupid plan.
She's so temperamental that even if you disagree with her it's better to bite your tongue and say nothing.
When he said he was the best on the team, I just bit my tongue.
Always ready to knock on wood, throw salt over my shoulder, bite my tongue, cross my fingers.
But they want a pink one, so Ralph takes out a pink one, bites his tongue.
He's not and would be wise to bite his tongue.
It's all very well telling some one to bite their tongue and not fight back.
Polly battled on, practically biting her tongue in half.
Tell them to bite their tongues.
Whatever the reason, Dauntless bit his tongue and resolved to put up with Cleo Sinister.

► hold your tongue

Chastised, Elder Brother held his tongue, turning to look at Jinju as if to seek her support.
If he was a count he would be doubly arrogant and she would not be able to hold her tongue.
Jim was struggling to hold his tongue when Carole knocked on his door and walked in.
Learn to hold your tongue, Mistress Philippa, else grief will come of it.
Out of sheer curiosity I held my tongue, and waited.
She tried to talk him into letting her go, but he ordered her sharply to hold her tongue.
Stella was forced to hold her tongue when Dotty or Babs Osborne spoke slightingly of Meredith.
You have to avoid being Nellie-know-all and hold your tongue to allow a younger generation to enjoy the fun of discovery.

► loosen somebody’s tongue

The wine loosened his tongue.

► native language/tongue

English is not his native language.
And as they learn their native language, they also use language to learn other things.
But dialect features are not errors in this sense at all, but are characteristics of a pupil's native language.
But for most of us our native tongue is alive and constantly shifting.
It is perfectly possible to communicate with little or no such similarity or else children would never learn their native tongue.
Some of the early researchers took a pessimistic view of what we would lose with the disappearance of native languages.

► put your tongue out

Donaldson fought the urge to put his tongue out.
I put my tongue out at them as far as it would go.

► your tongue runs away with you► slip of the tongue/pen

He had made an unfortunate slip of the tongue himself.
In all the excitement the Registrar, Mrs Molly Croll, suffered a slip of the pen.
Much of the humour derives from slips of the tongue, an occupational hazard.
One slip of the tongue would have betrayed all I was working for.
They both use the same root consonants, which are rearranged as in a dream or a slip of the tongue.

► on the tip of your tongue► trip off the tongue

His name, "Roberto Carlos," just trips off the tongue.
A name which trips off the tongue.

1mouth [countable] the soft part inside your mouth that you can move about and use for eating and speaking:

Joe ran his tongue over his dry lips.

The taste of the chocolate was still on her tongue.

The girl scowled at me, then stuck out her tongue.2click your tongue to make a sharp noise with your tongue to show that you are annoyed or disappointed:

She clicked her tongue and shook her head.3sharp tongue if you have a sharp tongue, you often talk in a way that shows you are angry:

Gina’s sharp tongue will get her into trouble one day.4silver tongue literary if you have a silver tongue, you can talk in a way that makes people like you or persuades them that you are right5sharp-tongued/silver-tongued etc able to talk in a very angry or pleasant way:

a sharp-tongued young teacher6with (your) tongue in (your) cheek if you say something with your tongue in your cheek, you say it as a joke, not seriously → tongue-in-cheek7slip of the tongue a small mistake in something you say:

Did I say $100? It must have been a slip of the tongue.8bite your tongue to stop yourself saying something because you know it would not be sensible to say it:

I wanted to argue, but I had to bite my tongue.9Cat got your tongue? (also Lost your tongue?) spoken used to ask someone why they are not talking10get your tongue around something informal to be able to say a difficult word or phrase:

I couldn’t get my tongue around the names of the villages we’d visited.11trip/roll off the tongue informal if a name or phrase trips or rolls off your tongue, it is easy or pleasant to say:

Their names trip off the tongue very easily.12loosen somebody’s tongue informal if something such as alcohol loosens your tongue, it makes you talk a lot:

The wine had certainly loosened her tongue.13find your tongue informal to say something after you have been silent for a time because you were afraid or shy:

Polly found her tongue at last and told them about the attack.14set tongues wagging to do something that people will talk about in an unkind way:

Angela’s divorce will certainly set tongues wagging.15keep a civil tongue in your head old-fashioned spoken used to tell someone that they should talk politely to people16speak with forked tongue to say things that are not true – used humorously17speak in tongues to talk using strange words as part of a religious experience18language literary a language:

Anton lapsed into his own tongue when he was excited.mother/native tongue (=the language you learn as a child)

She felt more comfortable talking in her native tongue.19food [uncountable] the tongue of a cow or sheep, cooked and eaten cold20shape [countable] something that has a long thin shapetongue of

Huge tongues of fire were licking the side of the building.21shoe [countable] the part of a shoe that lies on top of your foot, under the part where you tie it → on the tip of your tongue at tip1(5), → hold your tongue at hold1(29)