as in languages
the stock of words, pronunciation, and grammar used by a people as their basic means of communication
he spoke in a tongue that I didn't understand
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Recent Examples of tongues
This matters because chameleons hunt by ballistically launching their tongues like slingshots, using a tapered bone in their throat as a ramp.
—
Popular Science Team, Popular Science, 10 Sep. 2025
Launching on 16th October, 2025, the bubblegum pink sculpture features two entwined tongues, forming a surreal, dancing figure at the entrance of the iconic Brutalist gallery.
—Lee Sharrock, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Understanding how animals decelerate and reel in their tongues could further shape designs for deployable tools that must return to a starting position without damage or loss of control.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 9 Sep. 2025
As possessed people speak in foreign tongues and violence rises, Ahmed fears regaining memory, while the disciple fears his master’s decline may unleash an ancient evil.
—Zac Ntim, Deadline, 28 Aug. 2025
His nephew is old enough to speak both tongues, but Ammon's nieces are still too young.
—Zoey Lyttle, People.com, 26 Aug. 2025
Popular Science Team, Popular Science, 10 Sep. 2025
Launching on 16th October, 2025, the bubblegum pink sculpture features two entwined tongues, forming a surreal, dancing figure at the entrance of the iconic Brutalist gallery.
—Lee Sharrock, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Understanding how animals decelerate and reel in their tongues could further shape designs for deployable tools that must return to a starting position without damage or loss of control.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 9 Sep. 2025
As possessed people speak in foreign tongues and violence rises, Ahmed fears regaining memory, while the disciple fears his master’s decline may unleash an ancient evil.
—Zac Ntim, Deadline, 28 Aug. 2025
His nephew is old enough to speak both tongues, but Ammon's nieces are still too young.
—Zoey Lyttle, People.com, 26 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tongues
Noun
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The press release doesn't state which languages will be supported at launch.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
18 Sep. 2025
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First published in 2022, Reminders of Him has sold more than 6 million copies in the United States and has been translated into 45 languages.—
Pamela McClintock,
HollywoodReporter,
18 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Transcripts, grammars, vocabularies, dictionaries, glyph studies, botanical studies, commentaries, articles, editions of codices, correspondence, maps, charts, drawings, photographs, Maya Society materials, genealogies of Maya families, and Mayan glyphs on moveable type.—
The Editors,
JSTOR Daily,
12 Sep. 2025
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For decades, BCIs were limited to toy demos and small vocabularies.—
Jason Snyder,
Forbes.com,
31 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Many live in complex social groups, communicate in different dialects, pass on culture through generations, engage in play and even grieve the loss of family and friends as was the case here.—
Adeola Adeosun,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Sep. 2025
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Simulate high-stress scenarios with diverse dialects and vernacular; document any empathy drop-off.—
Tayfun Bilsel,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Meanwhile, analytical software has revolutionized linguistic inquiry, enabling greater understanding of the ways language works—when, how, and why words break out; the specific contexts for expressions and idioms.—
Stefan Fatsis,
The Atlantic,
13 Sep. 2025
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These systems can interpret regional slang, idioms and context-specific expressions, hence minimizing both over-censorship and under-enforcement.—
Anees Ali Khan,
Forbes.com,
8 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tongues.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tongues. Accessed 20 Sep. 2025.
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