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noun soft part inside the mouth ADJ. forked | loose, sharp (both figurative) Everyone knows now, thanks to Ken's loose tongue (= he could not keep the secret). She could tear a character to pieces in three minutes with her sharp tongue. VERB + TONGUE poke/put/stick out It's very rude to stick your tongue out at people. | run He ran his tongue nervously over his lips. | click/cluck | bite, hold (both figurative) She was dying to say something sarcastic to him, but bit her tongue and stayed silent. | free, loosen (both figurative) The wine had loosened his tongue. | roll/slip/trip off It's not a name that exactly trips off the tongue (= is easy to say). TONGUE + VERB hang out The dog lay in a patch of shade with its tongue hanging out. | flick, flicker The snake's tongue flicked out of its mouth. | lick sth His tongue licked dry lips. | wag (figurative) This is a small island and tongues are beginning to wag (= people are beginning to gossip). | find (figurative) Before she could find her tongue (= speak) the door had closed behind him. | watch (figurative) You just watch your tongue (= be careful what you say)! PHRASES be on the tip of your tongue (figurative) It was on the tip of her tongue to refuse. | get your tongue around/round sth (figurative) He was having trouble getting his tongue around my name. | a tongue of fire/flame (figurative) Tongues of flame licked up the walls. a language ADJ. mother, native She speaks English and Danish, though her native tongue is German. | foreign | strange PREP. in a/the ~ She could hear men whispering in a foreign tongue. PHRASES speak in tongues (= to speak in unknown languages, especially at a religious ceremony)
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
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In addition to the idioms beginning with TONGUE, Also see BITE ONE'S TONGUE; CAT GOT SOMEONE'S TONGUE; HOLD ONE'S TONGUE; KEEP A CIVIL TONGUE; ON THE TIP OF ONE'S TONGUE; SLIP OF THE LIP (TONGUE).
American Heritage Idioms