Phrase Hound found 239 phrases and 47 compound words that contain tongue. The most common are listed below. Open tongue in the live search for definitions, filters, and the full list.
Phrases 239
- mother tongueThe language one first learned; the language one grew up with; one's native language.
- tongue-in-cheekNot intended seriously; jocular or humorous.
- slip of the tongueA mistake in speech.
- tongue and grooveA joint, in flooring or panelling, made by fitting a ridge (tongue) along the edge of one board into a corresponding slot (groove) on another.
- tongue-twisterA phrase that is deliberately designed to be difficult to say correctly, usually because of varying combinations of similar phonemes.
- tongue-tiedHaving tongue-tie or ankyloglossia (“a congenital oral anomaly in which the lingual frenulum (a membrane connecting the underside of the tongue to the floor of the mouth) is unusually short and thick, decreasing mobility of the tongue and …
- father tongueA separate language for expressing ideas, as opposed to the vernacular (mother tongue) which is employed for everyday speech.
- silver tongueThe trait of being articulate and clever at speaking, often in a deceitful way.
- mother-in-law's tongueA plant with narrow, leathery, pointed leaves, of species Dracaena trifasciata (syn. Sansevieria trifasciata), often grown as a houseplant for its distinctive foliage and its tolerance of low light. The leaves are also the source of a …
- tongue depressorA long narrow smooth piece of wood designed to depress the tongue, to allow for examination of the rear of the oral cavity.
- hound's tongueAny of genus Cynoglossum of small-flowered herbs and shrubs of the Old World
- law of the tongueAppropriate control of one's words.
- hart's tongueThe fern Asplenium scolopendrium.
- tongue-in-chicUsing humor as a deliberate element of style.
- ice tongueA long, narrow sheet of ice projecting out from a coastline, forming when a valley glacier moves very rapidly out into a body of water.
- adder's-tongueAlternative form of adder's tongue.
- geographic tongueAn inflammatory condition of the mucous membrane of the tongue, usually on the dorsal surface.
- give tongueTo vocalize loudly.
- hold one's tongueTo refrain from talking about something.
- forked tongueThe split tongue of a snake.
- native tongueSynonym of native language: One's first language, learned in early childhood.
- tongue cleanerAn oral hygiene tool, often metal or plastic, used to remove bacteria, food debris, and dead cells from the tongue's surface to freshen breath and promote overall oral health by reducing plaque and potential bacteria buildup; typically …
- tongue-tieAnkyloglossia, a congenital oral anomaly.
- on the tip of one's tongueKnown but not quite able to be recalled.
- devil's tongueSynonym of konjac: A foul-smelling plant grown in Asia, Amorphophallus konjac.
Compound words 47
- bluetongueA disease of ruminants, caused by Bluetongue virus of the genus Orbivirus, carried by mosquitos, midges etc.
- tongueyTending to talk a lot; fluent or voluble in speech (generally with an unfavourable connotation).
- oxtongueBeef tongue (a foodstuff).
- untongueTo deprive of a tongue, or of voice.
- tonguefishAny of the flatfishes in the taxonomic family Cynoglossidae, distinguished by the presence of a long hook on the snout overhanging the mouth.
- tonguelessHaving no tongue.
- beardtongueA flowering plant in the genus Penstemon with a prominent, often hairy, staminode.
- tonguageAny activity involving the tongue; tonguing.
- tonguewormAny of the Pentastomida, a group of parasitic invertebrates.
- intertongueTo interlock.