tang

Everyday

1. A tang is a strong, sharp taste or smell, like lemon or the sea air. tree →
2. A tang is a hint or trace of something: «a tang of autumn in the air». tree →
3. Tang was a great Chinese dynasty, the Tang dynasty, famous for poetry, art and trade (a name). tree →
4. A tang is the part of a knife blade that fits into the handle. tree →
5. (Mandarin, pinyin) «táng» means sugar or sweets, and «tāng» means soup; these are not English words. tree →

In the lessons

In cooking and describing food, «tang» and «tangy» praise a sharp, fresh taste: lemon, lime, cheese, yoghurt. In stories, «the salty tang of the sea» helps you smell the setting. In history, the Tang dynasty in China was a golden age of the Silk Road. Phrases: «a salty tang», «a citrus tang», «tangy cheese», «the Tang dynasty».

Examples

• The lemonade had a nice sharp tang. tree →
• We smelled the salty tang of the sea as we got out of the car. tree →
• This cheese is tangy. tree →
• There was a tang of smoke in the cold air. tree →
• Poets wrote famous poems during the Tang dynasty. tree →
• The tang of the knife goes into the wooden handle. tree →
• In Mandarin, «tang» with a rising tone means sweets. tree →
• A wind carried me the tang of wolf, and against that smell I stared and stamped. tree →

Note

Countable («a tang») or uncountable. Adjective «tangy» is more common in everyday talk. Capital T for the dynasty. Do not confuse with «tank» or «tangle».