tang

Meanings

1. 1nounsingular

   A sharp, lively flavor or smell, usually pleasant, that stands out in food or in the air.

   Grammar: Usually used with a: a tang of lemon.

   Patterns

   • a tang of something

   The sauce had a pleasant tang of lemon.

   Fresh sea air carried the salty tang of seaweed.

   I like the tang that vinegar gives to a salad.

2. 2nouncountabletechnical

   The thin pointed end of a blade, knife, or tool that fits into the handle.

   Grammar: Technical sense; a countable noun: the tang of the knife.

   Patterns

   • the tang of a blade

   A full tang runs the whole length of the knife handle.

   The smith heated the tang before fixing the handle on.

   The blade snapped just above the tang.

Word forms

Common combinations

a citrus tang

The cake had a citrus tang that cut through the sweetness.

a salty tang

The wind brought a salty tang off the harbor.

a sharp tang

The cheese has a sharp tang.

the tang of smoke

The tang of smoke hung over the camp.

a full tang

Choose a knife with a full tang for strength.

Synonyms and how they differ

zest

Zest suggests lively freshness, often from citrus, while tang stresses sharpness of taste or smell.

bite

Bite describes sharpness in the mouth, but is often used for spice or cold, and not as often for smell.

kick

Kick is informal and means a sudden strong effect, especially from spice or alcohol.

piquancy

Piquancy is more formal and more focused on pleasantly spicy flavor.

Opposites

Word family

tangy adjective

having a sharp, fresh flavor

tangily adverb

in a tangy way; rare

tanginess noun

the quality of being tangy

Commonly confused: tang or tank? tang or tangle?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “tang”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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