tongue
tongue [tongue tongues tongued tonguing] noun, verb BrE [tʌŋ] NAmE [tʌŋ]
noun
1. countable the soft part in the mouth that moves around, used for tasting, swallowing, speaking, etc
• He clicked his tongue to attract their attention.
• She ran her tongue over her lips.
•It's very rude to stick your tongue out at people. 
2. uncountable, countable the tongue of some animals, cooked and eaten
•a slice of ox tongue
3. countable (formal or literary)a language
•None of the tribes speak the same tongue.
•I tried speaking to her in her native tongue.
see also ↑mother tongue
4. singular a particular way of speaking
•He has a sharp tongue.
• (formal)I'll thank you to keep a civil tongue in your head (= speak politely).
see also ↑silver tongue
5. -tongued (in adjectives)speaking in the way mentioned
•sharp-tongued
6. countable a long narrow piece of leather under the ↑laces on a shoe
7. countable ~ (of sth) (literary)something that is long and narrow and shaped like a tongue
•a tongue of flame
more at bite your tongueI/he/she could have bitten my/his/her tongue out/off at ↑bite v., (has the) cat got your tongue? at ↑cat, find your voice/tongue at ↑find v., have a loose tongue at ↑loose adj., loosen sb's tongue at ↑loosen v., a slip of the pen/tongue at ↑slip n., on the tip of your tongue at ↑tip n., watch your mouth/tongue at ↑watch v.
Word Origin:
Old English tunge, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch tong, German Zunge, and Latin lingua.
Example Bank:
•Before she could find her tongue= speak the door had closed behind him.
•Everyone knows now, thanks to Ken's loose tongue.
•He has a reputation for having a sharp tongue.
•He ran his tongue nervously over his lips.
•He said it was a slip of the tongue= a mistake in speaking and apologized.
•His tongue licked dry lips.
•It was on the tip of her tongue to refuse.
•It's not a name that exactly trips off the tongue.
•She could hear men whispering in a foreign tongue.
•She could tear a character to pieces in three minutes with her sharp tongue.
•She speaks English and Danish, though her native tongue is German.
•She was dying to say something sarcastic to him, but bit her tongue and stayed silent.
•The dog lay in a patch of shade with its tongue hanging out.
•The snake's tongue flicked out of its mouth.
•The wine had loosened his tongue.
•They were speaking a foreign tongue.
•This is a small island and tongues are beginning to wag.
•Tongues of flame licked up the walls.
•You just watch your tongue!
•I tried speaking to her in her mother tongue.
•The market place was full of people speaking many strange tongues.
Idioms: ↑get your tongue round something ▪ ↑hold your peace ▪ ↑roll off the tongue ▪ ↑set tongues wagging ▪ ↑with tongue in cheek ▪ ↑with your tongue in your cheek
verb
1. ~ sth to stop the flow of air into a wind instrument with your tongue in order to make a note
2. ~ sth to ↑lick sth with your tongue
Verb forms: 
Word Origin:
Old English tunge, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch tong, German Zunge, and Latin lingua.
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