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

1. tongs for lifting blocks of ice