An instrument or tool used for picking things up without touching them with the hands or fingers, consisting of two slats or grips hinged at the end or in the middle, and sometimes including a spring to open the grips.
Used in a Sentence
tongs
Definitions, parts of speech, synonyms, and sentence examples for tongs.
Editorial note
The hammer is the effort of the executing team and the tongs are the skill of the overall project management.
Examples18
Definitions2
Parts of speech1
Quick take
An instrument or tool used for picking things up without touching them with the hands or fingers, consisting of two slats or grips hinged at the end or in the middle, and sometimes including a spring to open the grips.
Meaning at a glance
The clearest senses and uses of tongs gathered in one view.
(by extension) A large scissors-like two-piece center-hinged forged-iron implement with oval-loop handles and with pointed tips turned inward (in the same plane as and perpendicular to the handles) to facilitate lifting and carrying a block of ice. Often called ice tongs.
Definitions
Core meanings and parts of speech for tongs.
noun
An instrument or tool used for picking things up without touching them with the hands or fingers, consisting of two slats or grips hinged at the end or in the middle, and sometimes including a spring to open the grips.
noun
(by extension) A large scissors-like two-piece center-hinged forged-iron implement with oval-loop handles and with pointed tips turned inward (in the same plane as and perpendicular to the handles) to facilitate lifting and carrying a block of ice. Often called ice tongs.
Example sentences
The hammer is the effort of the executing team and the tongs are the skill of the overall project management.
When he tried to remove it, the sample slipped from the tongs and crashed to the floor.
Tweezers or tongs in a first aid kit are pretty useful for that and for removing ticks.
For the serving, might also use some stylish wooden salad tongs or fork and spoon.
Long tongs, so that your gloved hand stays safely at one end while the other end is fishing around in the nitrogen.
Oh, and a good set of tongs are my must have in the kitchen.
You might just find that red-hot tongs are the wrong tool for proctology.
Perhaps we should meet in Istanbul with a cashed-up wallet and a very long pair of tongs?
If you don't have bbq tongs, get them, even if you're vegetarian.
Chief Acolyte henning, please permit me to fetch the sacred tongue-tongs!
I disagree about the silicone tongs; get all-metal ones, but get a good pair.
How does it compare to a wet rag with tongs?
Quote examples
You are assuming that "tongs" is not a euphemism for something else.
> it says “gently torture”, it’s clearly tong-and-cheek Tongs do not sound gentle!
I felt a bit cheated by the end that the only appearance of this "sex-crazed" side was: "He sexually harassed waitresses using a long pair of tongs to increase his range.
Money Quote: "If you want to patch together a lawnmower, a walkman, and a pair of ice tongs to play "Sonic Cruises for Hookers", or anything else Sony is publishing, that's your right.
Proper noun examples
Tongs let me flip things on the grill without burning myself.
I have more kitchen equipment than I know what to do with, but 95% of the meals I wind up cooking need at most these: - Bamboo Cutting Board - Plastic cutting board - Tongs, spatulas, and cooking chopsticks - Rice cooker - Chef's knife - Paring Knife - Sashimi knife - Nakiri - Aluminum nonstick pan - cast-iron griddle / broiler pan - Pot with steamer - Saucepan - 12 Qt.
Frequently asked questions
Short answers drawn from the clearest meanings and examples for this word.
How do you use tongs in a sentence?
The hammer is the effort of the executing team and the tongs are the skill of the overall project management.
What does tongs mean?
An instrument or tool used for picking things up without touching them with the hands or fingers, consisting of two slats or grips hinged at the end or in the middle, and sometimes including a spring to open the grips.
What part of speech is tongs?
tongs is commonly used as noun.