tongue
Mouth's muscular mover
The tongue is an organ in the mouths of humans and most vertebrates.
Because of the obligatory involvement of the tongue in producing speech, it is a metonym for language itself: Her mother tongue is Swahili.
Several idioms in which tongue features are about speech: hold your tongue, on the tip of one’s tongue, slip of the tongue.
Some inanimate objects with an analogous shape or function are also called tongues, like the flap in the middle of a shoe or the clapper of a bell.
Contractile body tissue
- taste budsFlavor-detecting tongue cells
- papillaeSmall tissue protrusions
- oralOf the mouth
- mouthOral opening
palate · frenulum · saliva · tip · dorsum · root · uvula · gustatory
Characteristic taste quality
- palateOral cavity ceiling
- taste budsFlavor-detecting tongue cells
- saltyTasting of brine
- sweetTasting of sugar
bitter · sour · umami · savory · tasting · licking · sampling · discerning
Clear vocal expression
- pronunciationManner of speaking words
- dictionChoice of words
- enunciationClarity of spoken words
- phoneticsStudy of speech sounds
consonant · vowel · alveolar · dental · velar · lateral · clicking · trilling
Rapid side-to-side movement
- loose lipsHabit of revealing secrets
- tattleReveal another's wrongdoing
- blabberRamble without substance
- idle talkAimless conversation
rumor · whisper · clucking · chatter · sharp words · vicious · cruel · unkind
Originating from a place
- foreignFrom another nation
- vernacularEveryday regional speech
- dialectRegional language variety
- lingua francaShared tongue between peoples
bilingual · multilingual · polyglot · heritage · ancestral · spoken · dead · living
Move briskly back-and-forth
Bell's internal striker
- reedVibrating sliver for woodwinds
- promontoryElevated land jutting waterward
- spitExpelled mouth moisture
- peninsulaLand almost encircled by water
protrusion · flap · extension
muscle
Contractile body tissue
- taste budsFlavor-detecting tongue cells
- papillaeSmall tissue protrusions
- oralOf the mouth
mouth · palate · frenulum · saliva · tip · dorsum · root · uvula · gustatory · pharynx
flavor
Characteristic taste quality
- palateOral cavity ceiling
- taste budsFlavor-detecting tongue cells
- saltyTasting of brine
sweet · bitter · sour · umami · savory · tasting · licking · sampling · discerning · sensitive
articulation
Clear vocal expression
- pronunciationManner of speaking words
- dictionChoice of words
- enunciationClarity of spoken words
phonetics · consonant · vowel · alveolar · dental · velar · lateral · clicking · trilling · lisping
wagging
Rapid side-to-side movement
- loose lipsHabit of revealing secrets
- tattleReveal another's wrongdoing
- blabberRamble without substance
idle talk · rumor · whisper · clucking · chatter · sharp words · vicious · cruel · unkind · malicious
native
Originating from a place
- foreignFrom another nation
- vernacularEveryday regional speech
- dialectRegional language variety
lingua franca · bilingual · multilingual · polyglot · heritage · ancestral · spoken · dead · living · pidgin
wag
Move briskly back-and-forth
clapper
Bell's internal striker
- reedVibrating sliver for woodwinds
- promontoryElevated land jutting waterward
- spitExpelled mouth moisture
peninsula · protrusion · flap · extension
lengua
Spanish for tongue
tonguesilence
Total lack of sound
quiet · muteness · speechlessness · taciturnity · reticence
tonguestandard
Level of quality accepted
lingua franca · universal language · official language · formal language · written language
- hold your tongueRefrain from speaking
- tongue twisterPhrase hard to articulate
- tip of the tongueVerge of recollection
- bite your tongueRefrain from speaking
- bite one's tongueRefrain from speaking
- tongue in cheekHumorously insincere manner
tongues, tongue-tied, forked-tongue, tongue and groove, tongue-and-groove, tongued, tongue-in-cheek, tonguing, tongue-twister