tang

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   a strong, sharp, and distinctive taste or smell

   A resinous tang of burning pine hung in the air.

2. 2
   noun

   the narrow projecting part of a blade or tool that fits into a handle

   The knife's tang extended through the full length of the wooden handle.

3. 3
   noun

   any of several coarse brown seaweeds or surgeonfish

   A school of yellow tang moved across the reef below the boat.

Simplified etymology

Tang goes back to Old Norse tangi, “the point or tang of a knife.” In medieval English it could mean the forked tongue of a snake, then believed to be its sting; the idea of a piercing point later produced the sense “a penetrating flavor.”

From Middle English tange, associated with Old Norse tangi, 'pointed tool,' and perhaps Middle Dutch tanger, 'sharp or pinching.' The sense of a sharp taste or smell reflects the same underlying idea of a pointed, striking quality.

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External links

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• Cambridge Dictionary
• Wiktionary