: a secret society or fraternal organization especially of Chinese in the U.S. formerly notorious for gang warfare
tonged; tonging; tongs
: to take, gather, hold, or handle with tongs
tong oysters
: to use tongs especially in taking or gathering something
Examples of tong in a Sentence
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The New York Times News Service Syndicate, Denver Post, 21 Oct. 2025
Read on to discover our absolute favorite fireplace accessories, including fire screens, hearth rugs, tongs, log holders, fire starters, fireplace inserts, matches, and more.
—Erika Owen, Architectural Digest, 21 Oct. 2025
Washington Post, 22 Dec. 2020
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Noun
Using tongs, keep tossing until everything is well combined and the pasta is al dente, 1 to 2 minutes, adding more pasta water as needed to make things saucy.
—The New York Times News Service Syndicate, Denver Post, 21 Oct. 2025
Read on to discover our absolute favorite fireplace accessories, including fire screens, hearth rugs, tongs, log holders, fire starters, fireplace inserts, matches, and more.
—Erika Owen, Architectural Digest, 21 Oct. 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
Cite this Entry
“Tong.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tong. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
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