Meaning & use
tong
A Chinese fraternal association or secret society, historically formed within Chinese immigrant communities.
See it in a sentence
Early Chinatowns in American cities each had their own tong offering mutual support to members.
Rivalries between tongs sometimes led to conflict in San Francisco's Chinatown in the 1800s.
A note on using this word
Some tongs were legitimate community and business associations, though the word is also historically linked to organized crime.
Words with a similar meaning
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Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Another way to use it
2. noun
A tool with two long arms joined at one end, used for grasping and lifting objects; almost always used in the plural, "tongs."
She used a pair of tongs to turn the steaks on the grill.
Make it your own
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