▪ I. tongue-tie, n.
(ˈtʌŋtaɪ)
[f. tongue n. + tie n.]
That which ties the tongue, or restrains speech; also, the condition of being tongue-tied (lit. and fig.); spec. (Path.): see quot. 1890.
| 1641 Brome Jovial Crew ii. Wks. 1873 III. 374 And asks a stronger tongue-tie then tearing of Books. 1849–52 Todd's Cycl. Anat. IV. 1162/1 Tongue-tie..is a congenital malformation. 1890 Billings Nat. Med. Dict., Tongue-tie, abnormal shortness of the frænum linguæ, or adhesion of the tongue to the floor of the mouth. |
▪ II. tongue-tie, v.
(ˈtʌŋtaɪ)
[f. tongue n. + tie v., or more prob. a back-formation from next.]
trans. To tie or confine the tongue of; to restrain or debar from speaking; to render speechless.
| 1555 J. Rogers in Foxe A. & M. (1563) 1032/2 Your wycked lawes can not so tongue tye vs, but we will speake the truth. 1611 Heywood Gold. Age i. i. Wks. 1874 III. 14 Let euerlasting silence Tong-tye the world. 1833 Lamb Elia Ser. ii. Pref., The ligaments, which tongue-tied him, were loosened. 1851 D. Jerrold St. Giles xxxii. 335 Her face was livid with agony, that seemed to tongue-tie her. |
Hence ˈtongue-ˌtier, that which ties the tongue: see quots.; ˈtongue-ˌtying vbl. n. (lit. and fig.).
| 1754–64 Smellie Midwif. I. 428 Tongue-tying is easily remedied by introducing the forefinger into the child's mouth, raising up the tongue, and snipping the bridle with a pair of Scissars. 1869 Routledge's Ev. Boy's Ann. 469 This tongue-tying was the severest part of our watch. 1883 Athenæum 24 Nov. 675/3 [It] shows a woman wearing a branks, or tongue-tier. 1905 Daily Chron. 29 Aug. 4/6 There are names..that demand shortening, tongue-tiers such as Giggleswick, which almost necessarily dwindles into Gilzick. |