The definitions used in this glossary of terminology either have been provided by the authors of the articles, or have been extracted wholly or in part, or paraphrased from the following sources: The American Medical Association Encyclopedia of Medicine, Charles B. Clayman, MD, Medical Editor, Random House, New York, 1989; Biotechnology from A to Z, 2d Edition, William Bains, Oxford University Press, New York, New York, 2002; A Dictionary of Genetics, 6th Edition, Robert C. King and William D. Stansfield, Oxford University Press, New York, New York, 2002; Dorland's Illustrated Medical Dictionary, 29th and 30th Editions, W. B. Saunders Company, Philadelphia, 2000, 2003; Genes VII, Benjamin Lewin, Oxford University Press, New York, New York, 2000; The Gale Encyclopedia of Genetic Disorders, Volumes I and II, Stacey L. Blachford, Ed., Thomson Learning, New York, New York, 2002; The Merriam-Webster Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Inc., Springfield, Massachusetts, 1997; Molecular Biology of the Cell, 3rd Edition, Bruce Alberts, et al., Garland Publishing, 1994; The Random House Dictionary of the English Language, Unabridged Edition, 1966; Webster's Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary, 1991.

DEFINITION:

tongue

1. Lingua: A fleshy movable process of the floor of the mouth used in tasting and in taking and swallowing food and in humans as a speech organ.

2. Lingula: A small tonguelike structure.

3. Any structure or organ having a shape similar to the oral organ of the same name.

4. The flesh of a tongue (as of the ox) used as food.

5. The power of communication.

6. Language.

7. Manner or quality of utterance; also, intended meaning.

8. Ecstatic usually unintelligible utterance accompanying religious excitation (usually used in the plural).

9. Something resembling an animal's tongue especially in being elongated and fastened at one end only.

10. To touch or lick with the tongue.

11. To articulate notes on a wind instrument.