TONGUE

Tongue

The tongue is a muscular hydrostat on the floors of the mouths of most vertebrates which manipulates food for mastication. It is the primary organ of taste, as much of the upper surface of the tongue is covered in papillae and taste buds. It is sensitive and kept moist by saliva, and is richly supplied with nerves and blood vessels. In humans a secondary function of the tongue is phonetic articulation. The tongue also serves as a natural means of cleaning one's teeth. The ability to perceive different tastes is not localised in different parts of the tongue, as is widely believed. This error arose because of misinterpretation of some 19th-century research .

The above text is a snippet from Wikipedia: Tongue
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tongue

Noun

  1. The flexible muscular organ in the mouth that is used to move food around, for tasting and that is moved into various positions to modify the flow of air from the lungs in order to produce different sounds in speech.
  2. Any similar organ, such as the lingual ribbon, or odontophore, of a mollusk; the proboscis of a moth or butterfly; or the lingua of an insect.
  3. A language.
    He was speaking in his native tongue.
  4. The power of articulate utterance; speech generally.
  5. Discourse; fluency of speech or expression.
  6. Honourable discourse; eulogy.
  7. Glossolalia.
  8. In a shoe, the flap of material that goes between the laces and the foot, so called because it resembles a tongue in the mouth.
  9. Any large or long physical protrusion on an automotive or machine part or any other part that fits into a long groove on another part.
  10. A projection, or slender appendage or fixture.
    the tongue of a buckle, or of a balance
  11. A long, narrow strip of land, projecting from the mainland into a sea or lake.
  12. The pole of a vehicle; especially, the pole of an ox cart, to the end of which the oxen are yoked.
  13. The clapper of a bell.
  14. An individual point of flame from a fire.
  15. A small sole (type of fish).
  16. A short piece of rope spliced into the upper part of standing backstays, etc.; also, the upper main piece of a mast composed of several pieces.
  17. A reed.

Verb

  1. On a wind instrument, to articulate a note by starting the air with a tap of the tongue, as though by speaking a 'd' or 't' sound (alveolar plosive).
    Playing wind instruments involves tonguing on the reed or mouthpiece.
  2. To manipulate with the tongue, as in kissing or oral sex.
  3. To protrude in relatively long, narrow sections.
    a soil horizon that tongues into clay
  4. To join by means of a tongue and groove.
    to tongue boards together
  5. To talk; to prate.
  6. To speak; to utter.
  7. To chide; to scold.


The above text is a snippet from Wiktionary: tongue
and as such is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

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