TONGS

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does tongs mean? 

• TONGS (noun)
  The noun TONGS has 1 sense:

1. any of various devices for taking hold of objects; usually have two hinged legs with handles above and pointed hooks below

  Familiarity information: TONGS used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• TONGS (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Any of various devices for taking hold of objects; usually have two hinged legs with handles above and pointed hooks below

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

pair of tongs; tongs

Hypernyms ("tongs" is a kind of...):

device (an instrumentality invented for a particular purpose)

Domain usage:

plural; plural form (the form of a word that is used to denote more than one)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "tongs"):

coal tongs; fire tongs (tongs for taking hold of burning coals)

ice tongs (tongs for lifting blocks of ice)

 Context examples 

The tongs had fallen, and his hands were hanging free.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Meg wanted a few curls about her face, and Jo undertook to pinch the papered locks with a pair of hot tongs.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

Their most trivial action may mean volumes, or their most extraordinary conduct may depend upon a hairpin or a curling tongs.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

There is a sugar-tongs there.

(His Last Bow, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

I pointed to the dead rat, smiling, and making other signs to show I was not hurt; whereat she was extremely rejoiced, calling the maid to take up the dead rat with a pair of tongs, and throw it out of the window.

(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)

We look into the glittering windows of the jewellers' shops; and I show Sophy which of the diamond-eyed serpents, coiled up on white satin rising grounds, I would give her if I could afford it; and Sophy shows me which of the gold watches that are capped and jewelled and engine-turned, and possessed of the horizontal lever-escape-movement, and all sorts of things, she would buy for me if she could afford it; and we pick out the spoons and forks, fish-slices, butter-knives, and sugar-tongs, we should both prefer if we could both afford it; and really we go away as if we had got them!

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

You have erred, perhaps, he observed, taking up a glowing cinder with the tongs and lighting with it the long cherry-wood pipe which was wont to replace his clay when he was in a disputatious rather than a meditative mood—you have erred perhaps in attempting to put colour and life into each of your statements instead of confining yourself to the task of placing upon record that severe reasoning from cause to effect which is really the only notable feature about the thing.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

I'm so sorry, but the tongs were too hot, and so I've made a mess, groaned poor Jo, regarding the little black pancakes with tears of regret.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

It chanced one summer morning, when Boy Jim and I were standing by the smithy door, that there came a private coach from Brighton, with its four fresh horses, and its brass-work shining, flying along with such a merry rattle and jingling, that the Champion came running out with a hall-fullered shoe in his tongs to have a look at it.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

"There, now I'll take off the papers and you'll see a cloud of little ringlets," said Jo, putting down the tongs.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)