different between tongs vs kongs

English

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /t??z/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /t??z/
• (cot–caught merger, Canada) IPA^(key): /t??z/

Etymology 1

tong ("tool for manipulating things in a fire") + -s

Noun

tongs pl (plural only)

1. An instrument or tool used for picking things up without touching them with the hands or fingers, consisting of two slats or grips hinged at the end or in the middle, and sometimes including a spring to open the grips.

   • There was also hairdressing: hairdressing, too, really was hairdressing in those times — no running a comb through it and that was that. It was curled, frizzed, waved, put in curlers overnight, waved with hot tongs; […].

2. (by extension) A large scissors-like two-piece center-hinged forged-iron implement with oval-loop handles and with pointed tips turned inward (in the same plane as and perpendicular to the handles) to facilitate lifting and carrying a block of ice. Often called ice tongs.

Derived terms

• ice tongs
• pipe tongs
• port tongs

Translations

See also

• forceps
• pair of tongs
• pincers
• pliers
• scissors
• shears
• tong
• tweezers

Etymology 2

Noun

tongs

1. plural of tong (“instrument”)

Etymology 3

Verb

tongs

1. Third-person singular simple present indicative form of tong

Etymology 4

Noun

tongs

1. plural of tong (“Chinese secret society”)

Anagrams

• stong

English

Noun

kongs

1. plural of kong

Anagrams

• gonks