tongue

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la lengua

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Dictionary

tongue(

)

A noun is a word referring to a person, animal, place, thing, feeling or idea (e.g. man, dog, house).

noun

1. (anatomy)

a. la lengua

(f) means that a noun is feminine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).

(F)

Chow Chow dogs have a purple tongue.Los chow chows tienen la lengua lila.

2. (culinary)

a. la lengua

(f) means that a noun is feminine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).

(F)

My favorite thing to cook is beef tongue.Lo que más me gusta cocinar es lengua de vaca.

3. (linguistics)

a. la lengua

(f) means that a noun is feminine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).

(F)

Which is your mother tongue?¿Cuál es tu lengua materna?

b. el idioma

(m) means that a noun is masculine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).

(M)

She can speak in several tongues.Habla varios idiomas.

4. (footwear)

a. la lengüeta

(f) means that a noun is feminine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).

(F)

This shoe has a very wide tongue so you don't need to tie it.Ese zapato tiene una lengüeta muy ancha para que no haga falta amarrarlo.

5. (flame)

a. la lengua

(f) means that a noun is feminine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).

(F)

The tongues of the flames rose when we added the firewood.Las lenguas de las llamas subieron cuando echamos la leña.

A transitive verb is a verb that requires a direct object (e.g. I bought a book.).

transitive verb

6. (to lick)

a. lengüetear

My husband can't stand it when our Great Dane tries to tongue his face.Mi esposo no soporta que nuestro gran danés intente lengüetearle la cara.

7. (construction)

a. machihembrar

If we tongue the panels, they'll be easier for people to fit them themselves.Si machihembramos los paneles, a la gente le resultará más fácil encajarlos sin ayuda.

tongue

A noun is a word referring to a person, animal, place, thing, feeling or idea (e.g. man, dog, house).

Noun

1. (in mouth, of land, flame)

a. la lengua

(f) means that a noun is feminine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).

(F)

2. (of shoe)

a. la lengüeta

(f) means that a noun is feminine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).

(F)

3. (language)

a. la idioma m, lengua

(f) means that a noun is feminine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).

(F)

to stick one's tongue outsacar la lengua

tongue twistertrabalenguas m inv

4. (idioms)

hold your tongue!¡calla la boca!

have you lost your tongue?¿se te ha comido la lengua el gato?

to say something tongue-in-cheekdecir algo en broma

tongue [tʌŋ]

noun

1 (Anat) (Cookery) lengua (f)

to put or stick one's tongue out (at sb) sacar la lengua (a algn); she has a quick/nasty tongue tiene mucha labia/una lengua viperina

...her sharp wit and quick tongue She had a nasty tongue, but I liked her

with (one's) tongue in (one's) cheek irónicamente; burla burlando

to say sth tongue in cheek decir algo en tono de burla

to keep a civil tongue in one's head moderar las palabras or el lenguaje

Sparky Princess Anne, not a Diana fan, will attempt to keep a civil tongue in her head with nice new husband Tim at her side "How did I manage to keep a civil tongue in my head?" demanded Alex as soon as Darrow had stalked out. `I must be getting saintly in my old age!"

to get one's tongue around sth

I can't get my tongue round these Latin names estos nombres latinos resultan impronunciables

to find one's tongue

so you've found your tongue? ¿así que estás dispuesto por fin a hablar?

to give tongue [+hounds] empezar a ladrar

to hold one's tongue callarse

hold your tongue! ¡cállate la boca!

to loosen sb's tongue hacer hablar a algn

wine loosens the tongue el vino suelta la lengua

to lose one's tongue

have you lost your tongue? ¿te has tragado la lengua?

to trip or roll off the tongue

the formula came tripping or rolling off his/her tongue pronunció la fórmula con la mayor facilidad; it doesn't exactly trip off the tongue no se puede decir que sea fácil de pronunciar

2 [of shoe] lengüeta (f); [of bell] badajo (m); [of flame, land] lengua (f)

3 (language) lengua (f); idioma (m)

in the German tongue en alemán; en la lengua alemana; to speak in tongues (Rel) hablar en lenguas desconocidas

modifier

tongue twister (n) trabalenguas (m)

Collins Complete Spanish Electronic Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers 2011

Word Roots

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Phrases

mother tongue	la lengua materna
tongue twister	el trabalenguas
cow tongue	la lengua de vaca
beef tongue	la lengua de vaca
tongue-tied	tímido
roll off the tongue	no direct translation
stick out your tongue	sacar la lengua
bite one's tongue	morderse la lengua
beef tongue tacos	tacos de lengua de vaca