tang
noun
a strong taste or flavor.
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tang
1 American
[tang]
/ tæŋ /
noun
-
a strong taste or flavor.
- Synonyms:
- savor
-
the distinctive flavor or quality of a thing.
-
a pungent or distinctive odor.
-
a touch or suggestion of something; slight trace.
-
a long and slender projecting strip, tongue, or prong forming part of an object, as a chisel, file, or knife, and serving as a means of attachment for another part, as a handle or stock.
-
a surgeonfish.
verb (used with object)
tang
2
American
[tang]
/ tæŋ /
noun
verb (used with or without object)
T'ang
3
American
[tahng]
/ tɑŋ /
Or
Tang
noun
tang
1
British
/ tæŋ /
noun
-
a strong taste or flavour
the tang of the sea
-
a pungent or characteristic smell
the tang of peat fires
-
a trace, touch, or hint of something
a tang of cloves in the apple pie
-
the pointed end of a tool, such as a chisel, file, knife, etc, which is fitted into a handle, shaft, or stock
Tang
2
British
/ tæŋ /
noun
Etymology
Origin of tang1
First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English tange “tongue of a snake, projection on a tool,” perhaps from Old Norse tangi “projection, headland, tang of a blade”
Origin of tang2
First recorded in 1660–70; imitative; see ting 1
Explanation
A tang is a sharp flavor or smell, like the tang of fresh-squeezed lemonade or the tang of the salty ocean breeze. When you eat something sour, you taste a tang, like the tang of blue cheese or vinegar in your salad. Although it's no longer available today, Tang was also the name of a tangy, sugary orange drink that was especially popular in the 1960s and 70s. From a root word meaning "to bite," tang's original meaning was "serpent's tongue."
Vocabulary lists containing tang
Tolkien Reading Day, List 8
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"We've suspected that serotonin was involved in tinnitus, but we didn't really understand how," said co-author Zheng-Quan Tang, Ph.D., of Anhui University in China.
From Science Daily • May 15, 2026
“Central banks have enjoyed independence and respect from their governments and their citizens and they’ve gotten used to this,” said Tang.
From MarketWatch • May 10, 2026
Student Nick Tang, 19, liked his free pastry from Lidl each month, but says he doesn't mind no longer getting it - as the store is cheaper than most rivals.
From BBC • May 10, 2026
Dr. Tidmarsh stepped down after former business partner Kevin Tang accused him of using his regulatory authority to extort him.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 3, 2026
The thousands of miles I had crossed were nothing compared to the last mile or so between the docks and the town of the Tang people, Chinatown.
From "Dragonwings" by Laurence Yep
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.