noun
tongs
tongz
noun
1
A tool with two hinged arms used for gripping and lifting objects without touching them by hand.
"He used tongs to flip the steaks on the grill."
"She grabbed some ice from the bucket with a pair of tongs."
How to Use Tongs
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA pincer-like tool for picking things up, common in kitchens, labs, and fireplaces.
Common mistake
"Tongs" is treated as plural (like "scissors"): you say "a pair of tongs," not "a tong."
Common pairings
a pair of tongs
kitchen tongs
ice tongs
Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.
Test yourself on “tongs”
A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage
→
Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
He used _____ to flip the steaks on the grill.
Etymology
From Old English tange, related to a Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to bite."