Meaning
An instrument or tool used for manipulating things in a fire without touching them with the hands.
Etymology
Origin: Old English
From Middle English tonge (“tongs, fang”), tange, from Old English tange, from Proto-West Germanic *tangu, from Proto-Germanic *tangō, from Proto-Indo-European *denḱ- (“to bite”). Cognate with Old Norse tǫng (modern Icelandic töng), Old High German zanga (modern German Zange). Other cognates include Sanskrit दशति (dáśati, “to bite”) and Albanian dang (“bite, nip”).
NYT Puzzle Appearances
Accepted in 14 recorded puzzles:
- 2026-08-20TGINOQU
- 2025-11-22OGWUTIN
- 2025-10-05NEGOPTY
- 2025-09-03GAUNTRON
- 2025-08-10GAOMENT
- 2025-03-16GUDTOEN
- 2025-01-01TOLBGNA
- 2024-08-27OGTKINU
- 2024-06-03TDOHGNU
- 2024-03-04GACENOT
- 2023-11-05TDGHINO
- 2023-09-25OUETNGH
+2 earlier appearances in the archive.