tongue

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
tongue/tʌŋ/

▶noun

• 1 the fleshy muscular organ in the mouth, used for tasting, licking, swallowing, and (in humans) articulating speech.

  ■ the tongue of an ox or lamb, as food.

• 2 a person's style or manner of speaking.

• 3 a particular language.

• 4 a strip of leather or fabric under the laces in a shoe, attached only at the front end.

• 5 the free-swinging metal piece inside a bell which strikes the bell to produce the sound.

• 6 a long, low promontory of land.

• 7 a projecting strip on a wooden board fitting into a groove on another.

• 8 the vibrating reed of a musical instrument or organ pipe.

▶verb (tongues, tonguing, tongued)

• 1 Music sound (a note) distinctly on a wind instrument by interrupting the air flow with the tongue.

• 2 lick or caress with the tongue.

– phrases
find (or lose) one's tongue be able (or unable) to express oneself after a shock.
get one's tongue round pronounce (words).
the gift of tongues the power of speaking in unknown languages, regarded as one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2).
give tongue

• 1 (of hounds) bark, especially on finding a scent.

• 2 express one's feelings or opinions freely.

(with) tongue in cheek insincerely or ironically.
one's tongue is hanging out one is very eager for something.

– derivatives
tongued adjective,
tongueless adjective.

– origin OE tunge, of Gmc origin.