tongs
Noun (plural in form, usually used with "a pair of"): A tool consisting of two movable arms joined at one end, used for gripping, lifting, or handling objects, typically those that are hot, dangerous, or difficult to touch directly.
The word "tongs" is almost always treated as a plural noun and is commonly preceded by "a pair of." It refers to the entire tool as a single item. * Use it to describe the action of gripping or handling something: Use the tongs to turn the meat on the grill. * It specifies a type of tool: She placed the sugar cube into her tea with silver tongs.
- General Use:
- Cooking:
- Handling Objects:
- "hammer and tongs" (idiom): With great vigor, energy, or intensity; very noisily or violently.
- The two teams went at each other hammer and tongs for the entire match.
- The neighbors were arguing hammer and tongs last night.
- Sugar tongs: A small, often decorative pair of tongs for picking up sugar cubes.
- Ice tongs: Tongs designed for handling blocks or cubes of ice.
- Fire tongs: Tongs used for handling burning coals or logs in a fireplace.
- Tong (verb, rare/archaic): To use tongs on something; to seize, collect, or handle with tongs.
- Pliers (specifically for gripping and bending, often with a cutting function)
- Forceps (used in medical or laboratory contexts)
- Pincers (similar tool, often with a gripping end for pulling nails or in zoology for an animal's claw)
While the core meaning is a gripping tool, the specific design varies greatly by purpose (e.g., kitchen tongs, fireplace tongs, blacksmith's tongs). The defining feature is the two hinged or joined arms operated by hand from the opposite end.
- any of various devices for taking hold of objects; usually have two hinged legs with handles above and pointed hooks below