ice tongs
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun: - A tool for gripping and lifting blocks of ice: "Ice tongs" refers to a specific type of tongs, typically made of metal, designed with curved, often serrated ends to securely grasp and handle large, heavy blocks of ice.
Usage
This word is a compound noun. It is used to name the specific tool. It is typically used in its plural form ("tongs") even when referring to a single tool. - Use "ice tongs" to describe the tool itself. - It is often used in historical or practical contexts involving the handling of ice before modern refrigeration.
Examples
Advanced Usage
- Historical Context: The term is strongly associated with the era of iceboxes and ice delivery services.
- Collectible Item: "Ice tongs" are now often discussed as collectible antiques or decorative items.
Variants and Related Words
- Tongs (n): A general term for any tool with two arms joined at one end, used for picking up objects. "Ice tongs" are a specific type of tongs.
- Ice pick (n): A pointed tool used for breaking or splitting ice blocks, often used in conjunction with ice tongs.
- Icebox (n): The non-mechanical refrigerator that used blocks of ice for cooling, for which ice tongs were necessary.
Synonyms
- Ice block tongs: A less common, more descriptive synonym.
- Gripping tongs: A general description of the tool's function.
Notes
- This is a very specific, concrete noun. There are no associated phrasal verbs or idioms.
- The concept is largely historical in many parts of the world, though the tool is still used in some commercial or industrial ice-handling contexts.
Noun
- tongs for lifting blocks of ice