tong

Meanings

Noun

• An instrument or tool used for manipulating things in a fire without touching them with the hands.
• A Chinese secret society or gang.

Verb

• To use tongs.
• To grab, manipulate or transport something using tongs.

Origin

• From Middle English tonge, tange, from Old English tange, from Proto-Germanic *tangō, from Proto-Indo-European *denḱ-. Cognate with Old Norse tǫng (modern Icelandic töng), Old High German zanga (modern German Zange). Other cognates include Sanskrit दशति and Albanian dang.
• From Cantonese 堂.